1. Trump campaign slogan and trademark
Although the dust of the US election has settled, the popularity of the next US President Trump continues to rise. Sales of Trump merchandise on e-commerce platforms such as Amazon and Temu have also surged, ushering in a wave of hot sales.
As we all know, “MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN” was Trump’s signature slogan during his campaign. The red baseball cap printed with this slogan has become an iconic accessory for Trump supporters, and sales continue to rise. This hat became even more popular after Trump sealed his victory as President of the United States.In one fell swoop, it reached the top of Amazon’s BS list.
Searching on the Amazon e-commerce website, we can find that the popularity of this hat is still unabated, and many of the links for sale have monthly sales of more than 8,000. This undoubtedly proves the huge market influence of Trump and his peripheral products.
It is worth mentioning that the slogan “MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN” has been registered as a trademark, and its registered owner is Trump’s presidential campaign company. This means that any unauthorized commercial use may constitute a risk of infringement.
It is worth mentioning that, aside from Trump’s special status as the next President of the United States, he is essentially a shrewd businessman who understands the value of brands and trademarks. Trump himself has also registered multiple trademarks named after him in the United States.
The following is some of Trump’s trademark information registered in the United States:
Although this wave of traffic from Trump has not dissipated, there is still the risk of infringement in Trump-related peripherals. While pursuing profits, sellers must also pay attention to intellectual property rights and other related issues.
2. Patent for desktop debris collection tool
Plaintiff: Philip Krieg
Case number: 24-cv-11524
Time of prosecution: November 8, 2024
Reason for prosecution: Patent infringement
Trial court: U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois
Representing law firm: Bishop Diehl & Lee
This case involves a desktop debris collection tool designed for DIY enthusiasts, especially those who like to make vinyl materials (such as stickers, decorative films, etc.) with their own hands.
This tool has two main functions: one is to collect debris, and the other is to serve as a tool holder.
When consumers use knives, scrapers, etc. to cut or engrave on vinyl, there is always some unwanted waste and debris produced.
When cutting or engraving vinyl using tools such as knives and scrapers, it is inevitable that some waste and debris will be produced. This tool has a specially designed surface that can easily absorb these debris, keeping the work area tidy. At the same time, it can be firmly fixed on various surfaces, such as wood, glass or plastic, allowing users to work more conveniently.
In addition to its debris collection function, this tool is cleverly designed to function as a tool holder. It can accommodate various vinyl tools, such as scrapers, scissors, tweezers, etc., allowing DIY enthusiasts to place all tools neatly on it when making hands-on work, which is both convenient and practical.
It is worth mentioning that the US patent number of this product is US D1,003,558 S, and the approval date is October 31, 2023.
On the Amazon platform, the sales of this product have been very stable and it is a hot-selling product in the plaintiff’s store.
In addition, the following two patents were mentioned in the plaintiff’s Amazon store: US 11,235,924 B2 and US 11,858,732 B2, with approval dates on February 1, 2022, and January 2, 2024 respectively.
At present, the plaintiff has not filed a TRO, but sellers of related products still need to do a good job in investigation.
3. Patented combined hand warmer
原告：Guangdong Aoyun Technology Co Ltd.
Case number: 24-CV-11570
Time of prosecution: November 10, 2024
Reason for prosecution: Patent infringement
Trial court: U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois
Representing law firm: Palmer Law
With the arrival of winter in the northern hemisphere, various thermal products such as hand warmers have begun to usher in the peak sales season. This time it involves a hand warmer product from a technology company in Guangdong. This company specializes in the manufacturing of products such as mini fans and hand warmers, and many of its products are extremely popular on Amazon US.
The hand warmers involved in this case can be used in combination or separately. It consists of two hand warmer sections, each equipped with a connector. The two connectors mate easily to combine the two hand warmer sections into one unit.
This hand warmer has obtained a US patent, the patent number is US 11,916,334 B1, and the approval date is February 27, 2024.
It is worth noting that this is an invention patent, so its scope of protection is relatively broad. Even if some products are not exactly consistent with the technical features in the patent claims, if they achieve the same function in substantially the same way and achieve the same results, then these products may still be considered equivalent infringement.
At present, although the plaintiff has not filed a TRO, sellers selling related products still need to remain vigilant and conduct product inspections to prevent infringement.
Taken together, “infringement is no small matter.” Today, e-commerce platforms such as Amazon, Shein, and TikTok Shop are paying more and more attention to intellectual property rights. Therefore, sellers should also be more vigilant during the business process, prevent infringements, and strengthen their awareness of self-protection.
Note: Article/AMZ123 Cross-border E-commerce, article source: AMZ123 Cross-border E-commerce (public account ID: amz123net), this article is the independent opinion of the author and does not represent the position of Yibang Dynamics.
