Podcast Interview: Kaitlin Corey Talks to Harford County Chamber Chat

Kaitlin Corey spoke with “Harford County Chamber Chat” a podcast hosted by the Harford County (MD) Chamber of Commerce on WHGM Gold. In the December 3, 2022 episode, Kaitlin discussed her intellectual property and business law practice at Goodell DeVries, the many services provided by the firm, and the value of Chamber membership. You can find the interview here or on your iHeart Radio app.

The Anatomy of a Trademark Case

This article originally appeared in the Association of Corporate Counsel: Baltimore’s Focus magazine (3Q2022, p. 7-9). Written by Jim Astrachan, Kaitlin Corey, and Donna Thomas.

A trademark infringement suit awarding Variety Stores $95 million dollars against Walmart is instructive as to what the courts in the Fourth Circuit require to establish trademark infringement and willful trademark infringement. Variety Stores, Inc. v. Walmart Inc., 852 Fed. Appx. 711 (4th Cir. 2021) (unpublished).

While the large monetary award has been resolved behind the scenes through a confidential settlement following Walmart’s successful appeal relating to the trial court’s jury instructions concerning whether Walmart acted willfully, the magnitude of the award and the Court’s explanation of what is required to establish trademark infringement are worthy of discussion. This is especially important for those who are called upon to advise their client about whether a trademark is clear and available for use. The analysis for clearing a trademark for use is similar to the analysis that applies to determining whether a client will succeed if it sues on the grounds of trademark infringement.

Continue reading

Kaitlin Corey Named in The Daily Record’s Leading Women Under 40

Congratulations to our partner Kaitlin Corey on being named among The Daily Record’s Leading Women Under 40 for 2022.

The Daily Record’s Leading Women awards honor women who are 40 years of age or younger for the accomplishments they have made so far in their careers. Winners were selected for the honor based on their professional experience, community involvement, and commitment to inspiring change.

 

Kaitlin Corey named to 2022 Leading Women Under 40A partner at Goodell DeVries, Kaitlin Corey represents a wide range of clients in intellectual property law and litigation and tax law. Her practice spans everything from trademark litigation to multi-million dollar business transactions and tax controversy work. She speaks regularly on copyright and trademark law and is an adjunct professor at the University of Baltimore School of Law, where she co-teaches Trademarks and Unfair Competition Law with Jim Astrachan. She is immediate Past Chair of the Intellectual Property Section of the Maryland State Bar Association.

Kaitlin also serves as General Counsel for the Annapolis Police Foundation and as a Dean of the Lawyers’ Campaign for CollegeBound. 

Jim Astrachan to Lead Baltimore Bar Foundation and Ethics Committee

Jim Astrachan - Intellectual Property Lawyer

Goodell DeVries partner and intellectual property lawyer Jim Astrachan has been appointed to two leadership roles this month. He was named President of the Baltimore City Bar Foundation and will serve a one-year term. 

Jim was also appointed Chair of the Bar Association of Baltimore City’s Professional Ethics Committee, a role in which he will serve until May 2023. 

Jim represents clients in intellectual property law and litigation, mediation, and business, regulatory, and transactional matters. He is a Life Fellow of the Baltimore City Bar Foundation, the Maryland Bar Foundation, and the American Bar Foundation. He has been an adjunct professor since 1979, teaching IP courses at the University of Maryland and University of Baltimore Schools of Law and University of Baltimore Graduate School of Communications Design, and taxation subjects at Loyola’s Sellinger School of Business.

Avoiding Copyright Claims When Using Creative Commons Licenses

A friend recently called about a letter she had received claiming that she was infringing a photographer’s copyrights in an image she had used in her company’s website and social media sites. In addition to requiring that she cease use of the image, the letter demanded payment of several thousand dollars for the alleged unauthorized use of the photograph. My friend explained that the image was being used under a Creative Commons license, so she didn’t understand what basis there could be for the photographer’s infringement claim.

Continue reading