The U.S. Trademark Office issued the following 190 trademark registrations to persons and businesses in Indiana in May 2023 based on applications filed by Indiana trademark attorneys:
| Reg. Number | Word Mark | |
| 6614962 | FIRST PRESSING | |
| 6608430 | ASSASSINATOR | |
| 6606035 | SPOREX | |
| 6611300 | BAM DASHBOARD BROKER/AGENT MARKETING | |
| 6613911 | GREYSTONE |
The U.S. Supreme Court has ruled that Andy Warhol‘s orange silkscreen portrait of musician Prince, adapted from a photograph by Lynn Goldsmith, does not qualify as “fair use” under copyright law. The court’s decision has significant implications for artists and content creators, as it raises questions about the transformative nature of derivative works.
In a 7-2 majority opinion authored by Justice Sotomayor, the court found that both Warhol’s artwork and Goldsmith’s original photograph served the same purpose of depicting Prince in magazine stories about him. The commercial nature of the copying further weighed against fair use. The decision has sparked concerns about potential copyright infringement lawsuits and may lead to more caution among artists using existing works as inspiration.
Justice Kagan, in her dissent joined by Chief Justice Roberts, criticized the court’s shift away from transformative use, arguing that it undermines copyright’s purpose of fostering creativity and promoting progress. She contended that the majority’s interpretation restricts fair use boundaries and fails to consider the amount of new expression, meaning, or message added to a work.
The U.S. Trademark Office issued the following 175 trademark registrations to persons and businesses in Indiana in April 2023 based on applications filed by Indiana trademark attorneys:
| Reg. Number | Word Mark |
| 7015859 | SANDCAT |
| 7038779 | DYNAPOWER |
| 7037242 | |
| 7037143 | ONECONNECT |
| 7036726 |
INDIANAPOLIS, Indiana – The Honorable Tanya Walton Pratt, Chief Judge of the United States District Court for the Southern District of Indiana, is pleased to announce the selection of Crystal S. Wildeman for the position of United States Magistrate Judge in the Evansville Division. Ms. Wildeman will fill the vacancy created by the recent elevation of the Honorable Matthew P. Brookman from Magistrate Judge to District Judge of the Southern District of Indiana.
A Magistrate Judge Merit Selection Committee, chaired by James D. Johnson of Jackson Kelly PLLC, and consisting of six other attorneys and two community members, reviewed numerous applications and recommended finalists for the position. The District Judges of the court interviewed the finalists and selected Ms. Wildeman.
Born in Evansville, Indiana, Ms. Wildeman is a 2003 graduate of Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana, where she received Bachelor of Science and Bachelor of Arts degrees after double majoring in Psychology and Criminal Justice with a minor in Biology. In May 2006, Ms. Wildeman earned her law degree from DePaul College of Law in Chicago, Illinois. While in law school, Ms. Wildeman earned the Best Brief Award in DePaul’s Moot Court Competition and then was elected to serve as the Chief Justice of the Moot Court Society. She also served as the Case Notes Editor for the DePaul College of Law Health Care Law Journal and worked as a Summer Associate/711 Licensed Student-Attorney with the Chicago Transit Authority.
South Bend, Indiana – On behalf of the judges of the United States District Court for the Northern District of Indiana, Chief Judge Jon E. DeGuilio announced that Chanda J. Berta has been selected as the next Clerk of Court effective May 8, 2023.
Ms. Berta joined the Northern District of Indiana in January of 2007 as a law clerk to the late Judge Allen Sharp. Ms. Berta’s long tenure with the court has included serving in the capacities of acting clerk of court, chief deputy, divisional manager, and career law clerk. Before joining the federal judiciary, Ms. Berta worked as an Associate at Hunt Suedhoff Kalamaros LLP, now known as Hunt Suedhoff Kearney LLP. Ms. Berta graduated summa cum laude from DePauw University and received her Juris Doctorate from Valparaiso University School of Law. She is a first-generation college graduate and native to South Bend.
Chief Judge DeGuilio stated, “Chanda is uniquely qualified to serve our district by virtue of her diverse experience as a law clerk to several judges, a practicing attorney, and having held several leadership positions within the Clerk’s Office. She possesses the intellect, work ethic and professional commitment to assist in the effective administration of justice through the critical resources of her office. I know I speak for all our judges when I express my appreciation for her service and welcome her to her new role.”
The U.S. Patent Office issued the following 172 patents to persons and businesses in Indiana in March 2023:
| Patent Number | Patent Title |
| US 11612598 B2 | Compounds and methods for the treatment of cancer |
| US 11613705 B2 | Method and system for gasification of biomass |
| US 11615871 B2 | Patient-specific medication management system |
| US 11612522 B2 | Absorbent article with selectively positioned waist containment member |
| US 11612652 B2 | Lipids as synthetic vectors to enhance antigen processing and presentation ex-vivo in dendritic cell therapy |
Indianapolis, Indiana – The Plaintiff, Delta Faucet Company (“Delta”), founded in 1954, known as “America’s Faucet Innovation Leader” filed suit against Amazon Storefront Owner Ben Watkins (“Watkins”) for Trademark Infringement under 15 U.S.C. §§ 1114, Unfair Competition under 15 U.S.C. 1125(a) and Common Law Trademark Infringement and Unfair Competition.
According to the complaint, Delta markets and sells high quality kitchen, bar, beverage, bathroom, and tub faucets; pot fillers; sink and counter accessories; showerheads; bathing products; towel bars and similar accessories. Delta allows its products to be purchased by end-user consumers in the United Sates only from Delta itself of from sellers who are expressly authorized by Delta to sell Delta Products (“Authorized Sellers”). Delta permits Authorized Sellers to sell Delta Products in approved channels only and requires Authorized Sellers to abide by agreements, policies, and other rules that impose requirements relating to quality controls, customer services, and other sales practices (collectively, the “Delta Rules”).
Delta has registered numerous trademarks with the United States Patent and Trademark Office including those listed in the table below:
The U.S. Patent Office issued the following 204 patents to persons and businesses in Indiana in February 2023:
| Patent No. | Patent Title | |
| US 11589674 B2 | Side rail mounted organizer | |
| US 11591937 B2 | Remotely mounted idler gear | |
| US 11591003 B2 | Stowable steering column | |
| US 11591574 B2 | Optical-quality surface that imparts spatial control of macrophage fusion | |
| US 11594682 B2 | Semiconducting polymer blends for high temperature organic electronics |
INDIANAPOLIS, Indiana – The Honorable Tanya Walton Pratt, Chief Judge of the United States District Court for the Southern District of Indiana, announced that Matthew P. Brookman was sworn in as a District Judge this morning. Senior District Judge Richard L. Young, whose seat Judge Brookman fills, administered the oath at the Winfield K. Denton Federal Building and United States Courthouse in Evansville, Indiana.
Judge Brookman was nominated by President Joseph R. Biden on January 3, 2023, and confirmed by the Senate on March 29, 2023. Prior to this appointment, Judge Brookman had served as United States Magistrate Judge for the Southern District of Indiana since February 1, 2016. Chief Justice John G. Roberts appointed Judge Brookman to serve on the Criminal Law Committee of the Judicial Conference of the United States in 2022.
Upon taking the oath, Judge Brookman stated, “I am grateful to have been nominated by the President and confirmed by the Senate as a District Court Judge for the Southern District of Indiana, and I am excited to begin the important work of the United States District Court.”
The U.S. Trademark Office issued the following 135 trademark registrations to persons and businesses in Indiana in March 2023 based on applications filed by Indiana trademark attorneys:
| Reg. Number | Word Mark | |
| 7000658 | CHEF KULEZA HOT SAUCE | |
| 7014322 | WOMEN’S FINANCIAL EMPOWERMENT GROUP | |
| 7014448 | ITALIAN FLUENCY PATH | |
| 7012513 | ITALIAN MATTERS | |
| 7014445 | MYCYBERSCORECARD |
