From Fords & Ferraris to Chevys & Lambos, Americans have a deep rooted love affair with their cars. And when car companies invest millions into the development and marketing of their iconic vehicles — only to see their goodwill and investment knocked off by another company — then the IP lawyers are unleashed.
In this eloquent & entertaining CLE program, Peter Afrasiabi reviews how the automotive industry has used trade dress law to protect their automobile designs and parts. Peter will mainly discuss the fundamentals & three elements of a trade dress claim and analyze key case law involving Hummers, Bentleys, Spyders, Porsches & Lamborghinis, kit cars and more. Throughout the course Peter also provides numerous practice tips for litigating claims of trade dress infringement about social media & survey evidence, expert & witness testimony and many other valuable points. He will also provide expert analysis on the Lanham Act, the nonfunctional requirement, inherently distinctive (ID) or secondary meaning, the likelihood of confusion and trade dress in advertising.
From battles with Madonna over the “Material Girl” brand to fair use disputes with the Eagles’ Don Henley to protecting such iconic brands as Bettie Page in trademark and trade dress disputes, Peter R. Afrasiabi primarily handles copyright, trademark and entertainment disputes.