"Enforcement in the Metaverse," by Michelle Ciotola and David Kincaid, appears in The Trademark Lawyer Magazine's special supplement, NFTs, Cryptocurrency & the Metaverse, published in November 2022. 

Michelle Ciotola's article, Awaiting Clarity in Fair Use, appears in The Trademark Lawyer Magazine, Issue 3, 2022.

"Don't forget the NFTs: IP due diligence for emerging technologies," by Partners Michelle Ciotola and David Kincaid, published in The Trademark Lawyer Magazine, Issue 2, 2022. 

Michelle Ciotola and Ali Caless co-authored the article, "Trademark enforcement outside the courtroom: four underrated tools your clients may be overlooking," published by The Trademark Lawyer Magazine, Issue 4 2021. In the article, they explain how the United States Customs and Border Protection, trademark watch services, online infringement and modern trademark clearance can be utilized to amplify the strength of a brand and protect against infringement.

Partner and trademark and copyright attorney Michelle Ciotola, co-authored the article, the Seven Deadly Sins of IP, with Tina Dorr.

Michelle Ciotola and Curt Krechevsky wrote The Top Ten Mistakes Made by Trademark Owners in the 2011 Corporate Counsel magazine.

Cantor Colburn is proud to announce that the following attorneys are recognized as 2024 Best Lawyers: Michael Cantor, Michelle Ciotola, Phil Colburn, Steve Coyle, Todd Garabedian, Ph.D., David Rodrigues, Ph.D., Mike Rye, and Susan Zerull. Ali Caless is Best Lawyers: One to Watch.

In her article, "Penguins, Grogu, and the color orange," appearing in the Trademark Lawyer Magazine in Issue 3, 2023, Michelle Ciotola, Partner and Trademark & Copyright Chair at Cantor Colburn LLP, evaluates the ever-evolving debate surrounding AI-created works according to US Copyright Law from both a use and generation perspective. Michelle leads the #8 trademark practice in the U.S. and is a frequent speaker on intellectual property and artificial intelligence issues.

On March 16, 2023, the United States Copyright Office (USCO) issued a Statement of Policy titled “Copyright Registration Guidance: Works Containing Material Generated by Artificial Intelligence,” which clarifies the USCO’s practices for examining and registering works that contain material generated using Artificial Intelligence technology. Cantor Colburn offers this Client Alert to examine the issues and what this means for you.

Cantor Colburn's Client Alert regarding “spoofed” calls from scammers impersonating U.S. Patent and Trademark Office staff. This alert offers guidance in how to prevent being spoofed and what to do if you believe you may have been.

Michelle Ciotola, Nancy Kennedy, and David Kincaid's article, "Blockchain, Cryptocurrency and NFTs: Metaverse Technologies in US Trademark Applications," appears in IPLS Proceedings, a publication of the State Bar of Michigan's IP Section.

"Enforcement in the Metaverse," by Michelle Ciotola and David Kincaid is published in The Trademark Lawyer Magazine's special supplement, NFTs, Cryptology & the Metaverse, November 2022. Michelle chairs the firm's Trademark & Copyright Practice Group and David co-chairs the firm's Artificial Intelligence Practice Group. 

Michelle Ciotola's article, Awaiting Clarity in Fair Use, appears in The Trademark Lawyer Magazine, Issue 3, 2022.

Congratulations to Michelle Ciotola and the incredibly talented, inspiring 2022 class of honorees at the Hartford Business Journal's Top 25 Women in Business.

Cantor Colburn Partners Michelle Ciotola and David Kincaid evaluate the expectations for how the USPTO will handle IP due diligence for NFTs - an exciting, if not emerging, technology, in their article, "Don't forget the NFTs: IP due diligence for emerging technologies," published in The Trademark Lawyer Magazine, Issue 2, 2022. Read it here.

Cantor Colburn’s Women’s Initiative hosted the Hartford Area AIPLA Women in IP Global Networking Event on April 7, 2022 at Parkville Market in Hartford.

Cantor Colburn LLP is pursuing Mansfield Rule Certification, which aims to increase the representation of diverse lawyers in law firm leadership. The Mansfield Rule certification process takes place over 18 months and was created by Diversity Lab. “We are pursuing Mansfield Certification because Diversity Lab has shown this is an effective way for law firms to increase diversity in leadership,” said Phil Colburn, Co-Managing Partner of Cantor Colburn. “We are interested in measurable, concrete successes.”

On November 17, 2021, the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) finalized a series of new rules implementing the provisions of the Trademark Modernization Act (TMA). Many of these new rules have significant impact to trademark stakeholders.  Five of the most important changes are discussed in this Cantor Colburn Client Alert.

Partner and Trademark & Copyright Vice Chair Michelle Ciotola, Sofya Nadgorny of Warner Music Group and Stacy Stewart of Coty, Inc. co-authored the white paper, Trademark Modernization Act - Summary, for trademark practitioners. The authors spoke at the Global Trademark Forum on April 14, 2021.  

As the deadline for Brexit approaches, it seems unlikely that a further trade deal between the United Kingdom and the European Union will occur. Therefore, existing guidance on United Kingdom and European trademark and design rights continues unchanged and is summarized in this Cantor Colburn Client Alert.

Michelle Ciotola was a panelist for the webinar, "Global Trademark Portfolio ... expert tips to lower cost and risk," presented by Novagraaf. Also on the panel: Novagraaf’s Alastair Rawlence and Toon Simons, and Warner Music Group's Sofya Nadgorny. 

Cantor Colburn copyright attorneys presented a webinar on copyright law for artists, called, "Creativity and the Law: A Webinar for Artists on What Every Artist Should Know About Copyright," on May 28, 2020. This webinar was in partnership with the Greater Hartford Arts Council to explain how art is protected by copyright law. Michelle Ciotola, Ali Caless, Benjamin Cantor and Crysta Lemon Schmidt presented.

Supreme Court Finds New Protection for Trademark Owners Who Wish to Obtain Immoral or Scandalous Trademarks.

Cantor Colburn partner Michelle Ciotola was quoted in the article "CT lawsuit tests Google's keyword search ad treatment," (Hartford Business Journal, February 19, 2018) about the lawsuit filed by Edible Arrangements against Google, in which Edible Arrangements demands $209 million in damages and other penalties for trademark infringement and unfair competition and trade practices. Ciotola is chair of the firm's Trademark & Copyright Department.

On October 19, 2016, more than 30 artists attended a seminar on “Creativity and the Law,” presented by members of Cantor Colburn’s Trademark & Copyright Department. Working with the Greater Hartford Arts Council, a nonprofit supporting arts organizations for more than 45 years, these artists were invited to a seminar about the basics of copyright protection as it relates to their art and livelihood. 

Cantor Colburn is pleased to announce the election of Michelle Ciotola  to Partner, effective June 15, 2016. Michelle will also become the firm’s Trademark & Copyright Department Vice Chair.

Michelle Ciotola comments in IP Law 360 on the significance of the Supreme Court's June 17, 2016 ruling in Kirtsaeng v. John Wiley & Sons. 

Michelle Ciotola, an attorney in Cantor Colburn LLP’s Trademark & Copyright Department, was selected for inclusion in the forthcoming Top Attorneys of North America edition of The Heritage Registry of Who’s Who, a biographical publication that selects and distinguishes leading professionals throughout North America who have attained a recognizable degree of success in their field of endeavor and thereby contribute to the growth of their industry and profession.

Ms. Ciotola, who was promoted to Counsel at the firm this January, concentrates her practice on counseling, protecting and enforcing trademark, trade dress, copyright, and related intellectual property rights, as well as counseling clients in unfair competition, Internet, advertising, and promotions law. 

Michelle P. Ciotola co-authored the article "Fuzzy Jury Instructions Affected 'Blurred Lines' Case, High-Profile Dispute Reveals Nuances in Music Copyright Laws," published in The Connecticut Law Tribune on April 20, 2015.  The Marvin Gaye estate won a $7.4 million judgment after months of legal drama regarding the Robin Thicke / Pharrell Williams song “Blurred Lines,” which they claimed was stolen from Gaye’s “Got to Give It Up.”   Pelletier and Ciotola's article highlights the importance of properly instructing a jury in the intricacies of Copyright Law. 

Trademark Counsel Michelle Ciotola comments in IP Law 360 on the significance of the Supreme Court's January 21, 2015 ruling in Hana Financial Inc. v. Hana Bank. The court unanimously ruled that so-called trademark tacking is a factual question that should be dealt with by juries.

Hartford, Conn. — Cantor Colburn will host the September 2014 International Trademark Association (INTA) Trademark Assistant (TMA) roundtable, The Office Action: A Challenge or a Cinch?, in the firm’s Hartford office on September 11th.

Cantor Colburn LLP has been recognized by 10 different organizations and publications- which heralded 14 attorneys in particular- for excellence in their work in 2013. The Legal 500 has applauded the firm for its “solid reputation in the market of providing an excellent level of service, and having an excellent value for money.” From accolades for the firm as a whole to specific recognition of Cantor Colburn attorneys in diverse practice areas within the field of intellectual property, the firm has enjoyed an abundance of recognition in 2013.

On October 17, 2023, INTA Roundtable Discussions on the Commercialization of Brands will take place all around the country.  Trademark attorneys Michelle Ciotola and Ali Caless and practice manager and senior paralegal Crysta Lemon will attend the Hartford event; Kerry A. Nicholson will attend the Atlanta event; and Farzad Panjshiri will attend the Washington, D.C. event. 

The Intellectual Property Owners Association 2023 Annual Meeting takes place September 10-12, 2023 in Boston.

Cantor Colburn Trademark & Copyright Practice Chair Michelle Ciotola is a featured speaker at the Joint Patent Practice Continuing Legal Education’s (JPPCLE) annual one-day seminar that gathers legal industry professionals to discuss recent cases, legislation, and regulations involving intellectual property law and practice. Michelle will be on the Supreme Court and Legislative panel, speaking on Abitron Austria GmbH v. Hetronic Int'l, Inc. - Extraterritoriality of U.S. Trademark Protection: How Far Does it Go? 

Michelle Ciotola will attend the New York Intellectual Property Law Association's Half-Day CLE Program, "Hot Topics in Trademark & Copyright Law" on July 20, 2023 in New York City. Michelle chairs Cantor Colburn's #8 ranked trademark & Copyright Practice Group. 

The Connecticut Invention Convention (CIC) Finals take place Saturday, June 10, 2023 at UConn's Storrs campus. During the judging of the student inventions, parents are invited to a presentation by Cantor Colburn attorneys Michelle P. Ciotola, chair of the Trademark & Copyright Practice, and Brad Lawrence, co-chair of the Electric Engineering Practice, called, "Options & Realities - Protecting Your Kids' IP." Eric Baron, patent attorney and chair of Cantor Colburn's Artificial Intelligence Practice, chairs the CIC board of directors, and will present the Cantor Colburn award for the Most Patentable Invention to a student inventor at the ceremony after the judging. Ali Caless and Jim Merrick are Volunteer Judges. 

Michael Cantor, Phil Colburn, Michelle Ciotola and Dan Drexler will be joining trademark,  brand professionals, and intellectual professionals from around the world at the annual meeting of the International Trademark Association (INTA) in Singapore in May 2023. 

Michelle Ciotola will be panelist for the CLE webinar "Sustainability in Trademarks: Leveraging Marks to Convey Eco-Friendly Brands, Avoiding Potential Pitfalls" on January 31, 2023, from 1-2:30 p.m. ET, presented by Strafford. She will be part of a panel discussing the impact of sustainability on brands and how they message their eco-friendly brands and offer best practices for brand owners to consider when using marks to communicate the brand's eco-friendly initiatives.

Cantor Colburn attorneys Michelle Ciotola and Ali Caless and Warner Music Group Vice President, Senior Trademark & Domain Name Counsel Sofya Nadgorny will be panelists for the webinar "Trademark Enforcement Outside the Courtroom: Customs, Watches, and Leveraging Online Platform Solutions: Exploring Options for Early, Effective, and Budget-Conscious Strategies" on December 6, 2022, from 1-2:30 p.m. ET, presented by Strafford.

The INTA 2022 Leadership Meeting will take place November 17, 2022 in Miami, Florida. This annual conference brings together INTA’s volunteer leaders and committee members to advance the Association’s support of trademarks and related intellectual property. Michael Cantor, Phil Colburn, Michelle Ciotola, Ali Caless and Ben Cantor are attending the conference.

Michelle Ciotola will attend World Trademark Review's live back-to-back USA 2022 conferences in New York City: Brand Protection Online on October 19, 2022 and Managing Trademark Assets USA on October 20, 2022.

Ali Caless and Michelle Ciotola will attend The Aurora Foundation for Women and Girls event, "Cocktails for Community," at Dunkin’ Donuts Park on October 12, 2022.Cantor Colburn is proud to sponsor the event and support the nonprofit's mission to empower low-income women, women of color, and first-generation college students to earn a college degree. 

The 36th MARQUES Annual Conference will focus on celebrating marks. Cantor Colburn trademark attorneys Michelle Ciotola, Tom Mango, and Ali Caless will attend. 

Michelle Ciotola will speak on "Developing and Implementing a Brand Protection Strategy" at IP Watchdog LIVE 2022 in Dallas in September 12, 2022. 

Michelle Ciotola will attend the Managing IP Intellectual Property and Innovation Summit taking place on May 24, 2022. 

INTA’s Annual Meeting Live+ is in-person and virtual.  Taking place over April 30–May 4, 2022 in Washington, D.C., the annual conference of the International Trademark Association brings together the most influential brand and intellectual property professionals from across the globe and across industries.

Michelle Ciotola is panelist in the webinar, Brands in the Virtual World, hosted by S. Majumdar & Co. Patent & Trademarks, and features panelists from leading law firms in Japan, France, and India.

Cantor Colburn is pleased to host the AIPLA's Women in IP Law Virtual Global Networking event on April 7, 2022. The event, Power Happy Hour: Finding Balance, Building Community, will feature a short discussion around the important issue for women of feeling empowered and engaging in community. 

Michelle Ciotola, Chair of the Cantor Colburn Trademark & Copyright Practice, will speak at the Connecticut Bar Association CLE Webinar, NFTs, Fine Art, and Software: The Many Faces of Copyright Fair Use on March 8, 2022.

Michelle Ciotola, Phil Colburn will attend the INTA In-Person Mini-Conference in New York City on November 16, 2021.

INTA's 2021 Annual Meeting will be virtual and take place November 15-19, 2021.

Cantor Colburn is a sponsor of the Aurora Women and Girls Foundation Luminary Luncheon on October 22, 2021, a virtual event. The luncheon will feature women and girls who have benefited from the foundation's work, community partners, and leaders.

Michelle Ciotola, Partner and Vice Chair of Cantor Colburn's Trademark & Copyright Department, will attend the ECTA's 39th Annual Conference in Vienna, Austria. ECTA (the European Communities Trade Mark Association) promotes the knowledge and professionalism of members and owners alike in the fields of trade marks, designs, copyright and other IP rights within the European Union.

The MARQUES Annual Conference takes place on September 14-17, 2021 in The Hague, The Netherlands.

Thousands of women IP professionals are gathering virtually on Tuesday, May 4, 1:30-2:30 PM to discuss themes of optimism and hard work from Michelle Obama’s memoir, Becoming. Cantor Colburn is proud to host a discussion group hosted by partners Jenae Gureff and Michelle Ciotola. RSVP: contact@cantorcolburn.com.

Partner and Trademark & Copyright Vice Chair Michelle Ciotola will speak on the Trademark Modernization Act at The Managing IP annual Global Trademark Forum on April 14, 2021.

Cantor Colburn is hosting an AIPLA women's networking and bourbon tasting event via Zoom on Wednesday, September 30, 2020 from 6-7 PM EST, “Building Bonds Over Bourbon: Conversations with IP Colleagues.” Our program will enhance networking skills: we’ll have a bourbon tasting, learn and practice techniques for building relationships, and discuss IP issues in breakout groups. 

Michelle Ciotola will be a panelist for the webinar, "Global Trademark Portfolio ... expert tips to lower cost and risk," presented by Novagraaf on May 28, 2020. 

Cantor Colburn copyright attorneys will present the complimentary webinar, "Creativity and the Law: A Webinar for Artists on What Every Artist Should Know About Copyright," on May 28, 2020 at 5:30 PM in partnership with the  Greater Hartford Arts Council. Michelle Ciotola, Ali Caless, Benjamin Cantor and Crysta Lemon Schmidt will review copyright law and how artists can protect their creative works. 

Alison Caless will participate on an IP Ethics CLE panel for the IP section of the Connecticut Bar on December 3, 2019; 2 CLE Ethics credits are available in CT and NY. Alison is a member of the CBA's IP Section.

The INTA 2019 Leadership Meeting will take place November 19-22, 2019 in Austin, Texas. This annual conference brings together INTA’s volunteer leaders and committee members to advance the Association’s support of trademarks and related intellectual property. Michael Cantor, Phil Colburn, and Michelle Ciotola will be attending the conference.

Michelle Ciotola will attend the Annual Meeting of the Asociación Interamericana de la Propiedad Intelectual (“Inter-American Association of Intellectual Property” or “ASIPI”) in Lima, Peru, October 27-30, 2019. 

Michelle Ciotola, Tom Mango, and Ali Caless will attend The MARQUES 33rd Annual Conference that takes place on September 17-19, 2019 in Dublin, Ireland. This year's conference theme is "Brands Confronting Change." 

The 141st annual meeting of the International Trademark Association (INTA) will take place in Boston, Massachusetts from May 18-22, 2018. Nearly 10,000 intellectual property professionals from around the world will attend, including a large delegation from Cantor Colburn. 

The Copyright Team at Cantor Colburn will present, “Creativity and the Law: What Every Artist Should Know About Their Creations,” presented in partnership with the Greater Hartford Arts Council. This session is a copyright basics seminar for artists in all media. 

Presenting are Michelle Ciotola, Partner and Trademark & Copyright Department Vice Chair, Associates Ali Caless and Ben Cantor, and Senior Trademark paralegal Crysta Lemon Schmidt. 

Michelle Ciotola will attend ASIPI Rio 2018. She is a partner and Vice Chair of Cantor Colburn's Trademark & Copyright Department. She is an active member of INTA, ECTA, and MARQUES, and her practice encompasses all aspects of trademark and copyright law.

The INTA 2018 Leadership Meeting will take place November 6-9, 2018 in New Orleans, Louisiana. It brings together INTA volunteer leaders once a year to advance the Association’s objectives and goals.

Cantor Colburn is proud to be a Magic Moments Sponsor of the Nutmeg Big Brothers Big Sisters, Start Something Big Gala being held at The Society Room at 6:00PM

Michelle Ciotola, Partner and Trademark & Copyright Department Vice Chair, Thomas Mango, Trademark Litigation Partner, and Alison Caless, Trademark Associate, will attend The MARQUES 32nd Annual Conference that takes place on September 18-21, 2018 in Paris, France.  This year's conference theme is "Branding Style: Appearance, Aesthetics and Éclat." Many sessions will focus on topics such as branding, design and luxury goods.

Michael Cantor, Co-Managing Partner, and Michelle Ciotola, Partner and Vice Chair of the Trademark & Copyright Department, will attend the ECTA's 37th Annual Conference in Athens, Greece. ECTA (the European Communities Trade Mark Association) promotes the knowledge and professionalism of members and owners alike in the fields of trade marks, designs, copyright and other IP rights within the European Union.

The 140th annual meeting of the International Trademark Association (INTA) will take place in Seattle, Washington from May 19-23, 2018. Nearly 10,000 intellectual property professionals from around the world will attend, including a large delegation from Cantor Colburn.   

Cantor Colburn's copyright attorneys are pleased to partner with the Greater Hartford Arts Council and present a copyright basics seminar for artists in all media. This session will  inform artists about the rights and protections available to them regarding their creations.

The 2017 INTA (International Trademark Association) Leadership Meeting, November 7-10, 2017 in Washington, D.C., brings together INTA volunteer leaders once a year to advance the Association’s objectives and goals. It offers them an advanced-level educational program and the opportunity to conduct business and network with colleagues from around the world.

Michelle Ciotola, Partner and Trademark & Copyright Department Vice Chair, will attend The MARQUES 31st Annual Conference that takes place on September 19-22, 2017 in Prague, the Czech Republic.  This year's conference theme is "Brands and Culture."

The New York Intellectual Property Law Association presented Hot Topics in IP Law, Trademark Ethics 101: Investigations, Advance Consents and Terminating Client Relationships at the Princeton Club in New York City on July 19, 2017.  Gerard F. Rogers, Chief Administrative Judge of the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board, spoke at the event.

Michelle P. Ciotola, Partner and Vice Chair of the firm's Trademark & Copyright Department, attended the European Communities Trade Mark Association (ECTA) 34th Annual Conference in Budapest, Hungary, on June 28, 2017.

The 139th annual meeting of the International Trademark Association (INTA) took place in Barcelona, Spain from May 20-24, 2017 and was attended by more than 9,500 trademark professionals including a large delegation from Cantor Colburn. 

The 2016 INTA Leadership Meeting, November 15-18 in Hollywood, Florida, brings together INTA volunteer leaders once a year to advance the Association’s objectives and goals. It offers them an advanced-level educational program and the opportunity to conduct business and network with colleagues from around the world.

INTA is a global association of trademark owners and professionals dedicated to supporting trademarks and related intellectual property in order to protect consumers and to promote fair and effective commerce. 

Cantor Colburn presents a seminar for artists on copyright law through our partnership with the Greater Hartford Arts Council, entitled "Creativity and the Law." Cantor Colburn attorneys will show the importance of using intellectual property law, especially copyright law, to protect artists.

Michelle Ciotola, Partner and Trademark & Copyright Department Vice Chair, will attend The MARQUES 30th Annual Conference that takes place on September 20-23, 2016 in Alicante, Spain.  This year's conference theme is BRANDS versus TRADEMARKS - TRADEMARKS versus BRANDS. Many of the sessions will address different aspects of this question, focusing on the legal issues and challenges of brands vs trademarks. 

The INTA Leadership Meeting brings together INTA volunteer leaders once a year to advance the Association’s objectives and goals. 

Michelle Ciotola, Counsel in the firm's Trademark & Copyright Department, will attend the 29th MARQUES Annual Conference in Vienna, Austria in September 2015.  The theme of the conference is “Mind the Brand! Psychology of Brands.” 

Cantor Colburn Trademark Counsel Michelle P. Ciotola will attend the European Communities Trade Mark Association (ECTA) 34th Annual Conference in Hamburg, Germany on June 10, 2015.

Trademark Counsel Michelle Ciotola gave a presentation entitled “What They Didn’t Teach You in Law School about Trademark Law” during the International Trademark Association (INTA) Annual Meeting 2015 Career Development Day.

The 137th annual meeting of the International Trademark Association (INTA) takes place in San Diego, California and will be attended by more than 9,500 trademark professionals including a large delegation from Cantor Colburn. 

Cantor Colburn will host the September 2014 International Trademark Association (INTA) Trademark Assistant (TMA) roundtable, The Office Action:  A Challenge or a Cinch?, in the firm’s Hartford office on September 11th.

Trademark Counsel Michelle Ciotola gave a presentation entitled “What They Didn’t Teach You in Law School about Trademark Law” during the International Trademark Association (INTA) Annual Meeting 2013 Career Development Day.