On December 27, 2020, the President signed into law the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021 (the “Act”). While much of the Act focuses on COVID-19 relief and other tax and appropriation provisions, included within the Act were important updates to the federal trademark and copyright laws.

The Trademark Modernization Act of 2020

First, the Trademark Modernization Act of 2020 (the “TMA,” Division Q, Title II, Subtitle B of the Act), introduces significant changes to the Lanham Act. The TMA includes various provisions that seek to modernize the trademark examination procedure and address fraudulent trademark applications. For example, it formalizes the process…
Continue Reading Updates to the Trademark and Copyright Laws in the 2021 Consolidated Appropriations Act