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.

Michelle P. Ciotola, a trademark associate attorney at Cantor Colburn, has been selected as a Connecticut Super Lawyers Rising Star in intellectual property for 2014. This is her fourth year receiving this recognition.

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.

Michelle P. Ciotola, an Associate in the Hartford office of Cantor Colburn LLP, has been selected as Connecticut Super Lawyers Rising Star in intellectual property for 2013.  

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.

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, Curt Krechevsky  and Michelle Ciotola will be attending the conference.

Michelle Ciotola and Curt Krechevsky 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." 

Michelle Ciotola, Partner and Vice Chair of the Trademark & Copyright Department, Ben Cantor, Associate, and Thomas Mango, Litigation and Trademark Partner, will attend the ECTA's 38th Annual Conference in Edinburgh, Scotland on June 26-29, 2019.

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.

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.