Trademark Law Research Guide
This guide provides an introduction to materials used to research trademark law in the United States.
Introduction
This quick topic guide was created for students conducting research in the area of trademark law. This guide, while not comprehensive, provides a listing of the more important, current and relevant materials available in this subject area.
Introductory Resources
Intellectual Property: Patents, Trademarks, and Copyright in a Nutshell
- by Michael Davis, Arthur Miller
"Provides authoritative coverage on the foundations of patent protection, patentability, and the patenting process. Presents the fundamentals of trademarks and copyright laws. Text further addresses torts and property, antitrust and government regulation, concepts of federalism and state, and federal conflicts."
Print available in Library / Call No.: KF2980 .M52 2007
- Not available electronically.
Understanding Trademark Law
- by Mary LaFrance
A "comprehensive and up-to-date guide to the law of trademarks and unfair competition. It provides a thorough introduction to the federal laws protecting registered trademarks and trade dress, as well as the broad array of federal and state unfair competition doctrines which protect unregistered trademarks and trade dress."
Print available in Library / Call No.: KF3180 .L34 2009
- Not available electronically
Cornell Legal Information Institute: Trademark
Section of the Legal Information Institute that provides a general explanation of trademark law, and includes links to statutes, cases, treaties, and key Internet sources.
- Educational web site.
Treatises and In-Depth Resources
McCarthy on Trademarks and Unfair Competition
Legal treatise covering trademark law including analyses of cases and statutes. Coverage includes registering trademarks; inter partes proceedings; appeals; and remedies.
Print available in Library / Call No.: KF3180 .M3 1996
- Also available electronically on Westlaw (MCCARTHY).
Gilson on Trademarks
Surveys trademark law in the United States and covers everything from trademark subject matter to trademark infringement; also includes forms and drafting guides.
Available electronically on LexisNexis (Gilson on Trademarks).
Trademark Law Guide
Covers federal and state trademark law. In addition to explanation and analysis, this contains trademark statutes of all 50 states, the text of the Lanham Trademark Act (as amended), and select trademark court opinions and decisions of the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board.
Available electronically on CCH Intelliconnect.
United States Patent and Trademark Office, Trademark Manual of Examining Procedure (7th ed.)
The TMEP provides "trademark examining attorneys in the USPTO, trademark applicants, and attorneys and representatives for trademark applicants, with a reference work on the practices and procedures relative to prosecution of applications to register marks in the USPTO."
Law Review and Journal Articles
For information on finding articles from law reviews and other scholarly journals generally, see Georgetown Law Library's Articles for Legal & Non-Legal Research guide.
Current Awareness
BNA's Patent, Trademark, and Copyright Law Journal
Print available in Library / Call No.: KF2976.5 .B95
Primary Law Resources
US Code Collection: Title 15, Chapter 22 - Trademarks
Full text of Title 15, Chapter 22 of the U.S. Code from the Cornell University Legal Information Institute.
- Unofficial version of the U.S. Code.
U.S. Patent and Trademark Office Rules and Regulations (GPO, e-CFR)
United States Patents Quarterly (BNA)
Contains trademark cases (federal and state) and decisions of the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board.
Available electronically on
- BNA Intellectual Property Law Resource Center
- LexisNexis (BNA United States Patents Quarterly)
- Westlaw (USPQ)
Research Guides
Zimmerman's Research Guide - Trademarks
Trademarks research guide authored by Andrew Zimmerman from his "An Online Encyclopedia for Legal Researchers".
- Provided freely through LexisNexis.
Specialized Legal Research, Chapter 11 ("Federal Patent and Trademark Law")
- by Penny Hazelton
Print available in Library / Call No.: KF240 .S64 1987
Government Resources
Patent and Trademark Office
- The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) is an agency of the United States Department of Commerce. They grant patents, register trademarks, and provide patent and trademark information.
- Government website.
Associations and Organizations
American Bar Association Section of Intellectual Property Law
The ABA Section of Intellectual Property Law's website contains information on their publications, events, careers in intellectual property law, and more.
- Organizational website.
American Intellectual Property Law Association (AIPLA)
- The AIPLA is a national bar association of primarily lawyers involved directly or indirectly in the practice of patent, trademark, copyright, and unfair competition law, as well as other fields of law affecting intellectual property.
- Organizational website.
International Trademark Association
- An association of "trademark owners, professionals and academics, from more than 190 countries, dedicated to the support and advancement of trademarks and related intellectual property as elements of fair and effective national and international commerce."
- Organizational web site.
Other Resources
FindLaw: Trademarks
- FindLaw links to trademark law resources including web guides, news, cases, and law firm articles.
- Commercial website.
HG.org: Guide to Trademark Law
- Website providing links to resources dealing with trademarks
- Organizational website.
Links 02/2013 (MF/ET)
Updated 11/2010 (MS)
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