We have to say, we're intrigued ... and we'll be tuning in for at least one episode.
However, the more important question to us is: how does Rick Harris feel about the name of the show? Making this inquiry even more interesting is the fact that whoever wrote the blurb on CBS's site chose to use this phrasing:
Jim Belushi and Jerry O'Connell team up in this new drama about two Las Vegas lawyers who play by their own rules. Lawyer up - This Fall on CBS!Not that Harris coined the term "Lawyer up" by any means ... but it is interesting, right?
(CBS; Thanks, Tipster!)
I hate to admit it, but I thought the teaser was quite entertaining and am likely to watch at least the first couple of them.....maybe it'll be a good show.
ReplyDeleteWho knows, maybe it will remind America why Vegas is Vegas and they'll come back in by the dozens because they saw it?
I agree 8:46. I really hope it's a worthy show to watch. We need some attorney shows that are worth your time watching.
ReplyDeleteKeeping the fingers crossed.
And then they'll get into a whole range of legal trouble - the demand for criminal, PI, BK, CD, T&E, Commercial lit will go through the roof - we'll all be wealthy beyond our wildest dreams - and we owe it all to two gentleman: Messrs Cristalli and Saggese.
ReplyDeleteI am proud of Marc and Michael, and also believe this says a lot about CBS. I didn't even know Marc and Michael are gay. To come out of the closet through a national TV show takes a lot of courage.
ReplyDeleteActually Rick is probably laughing his ass off that they chose the name of one of his branded practices for a show about a competitor.
ReplyDeleteTime to buy 20 more Defenders billboards and get the trademark lawyers on board...
I just can't watch legal dramas anymore...the more fantastical the courtroom scenarios, the more unwatchable it is to me.
ReplyDeleteOkay, yeah, 99.9999% of court time is dull as rocks...If it's too dull to make good TV out of, then just have less of it and spend more time on their fascinating personal lives.
Why didn't they just keep Boston Legal going? That is what this show looks like with crazy antics and the "bromance."
ReplyDeleteWhat about this show makes anyone think it was based on Christalli and Saggese, or any real lawyers for that matter? Just a bunch of made up shit that never happens. You can expect that the trailer would have some of the show's best moments in it, yet I didn't see anything good. The actors need to be thinking about what their next jobs will be.
ReplyDeleteI simply cannot watch television shows like this with 'laugh tracks'. Nowadays, that's the best way to tell the difference between a well written comedy and a poorly written comedy. The latter sitcoms use the laugh track as a crutch and most of them can be found on either CBS and the Disney Channel.
ReplyDelete(*'Cheers', 'Seinfeld', etc. had laugh tracks but that's an era that's long gone)
Harris has a Nevada trademark and service mark for 'The Defenders' for 'Law Firm/Legal Services' not for 'Movies about a Law Firm/Legal Services'. There's no trademark violation there. (how do you have a trademark for legal services? NV SOS isn't paying attention...)
ReplyDeleteCBS filed a federal service mark (serial #77949151) application for "The Defenders" for 'Production and distribution of a series of made for television movies' that was filed in March 2010 claiming first use in 1998 (http://imdb.to/9nYxK3)
But this is a TV series, not a series of 'made for TV movies'. I wonder how CBS can justify that this service mark covers this new TV series?
Hmmm.....
Harris can only benefit from the new CBS show. The bigger issue appears to be Cristalli & Saggese recently applied to nationally register the word mark "The Defenders" for litigation services.(see below). Harris secured the exclusive right to use "The Defenders" in Nevada for legal services in 2009, but Cristalli & Saggese are claiming first use in 2006. I've seen Harris' "The Defenders" billboards all over, but don't recall C & S using "The Defenders" at all. This should be interesting.
ReplyDeleteWord Mark THE DEFENDERS
Goods and Services IC 045. US 100 101. G & S: Litigation services. FIRST USE: 20060615. FIRST USE IN COMMERCE: 20061215
Standard Characters Claimed
Mark Drawing Code (4) STANDARD CHARACTER MARK
Serial Number 77934954
Filing Date February 12, 2010
Current Filing Basis 1A
Original Filing Basis 1A
Owner (APPLICANT) Michael V. Cristalli DBA Cristalli & Saggese, Ltd. LIMITED LIABILITY COMPANY NEVADA Suite #100 732 South 6th Street Las Vegas NEVADA 89101
(APPLICANT) Marc A. Saggese DBA Cristalli & Saggese, Ltd LIMITED LIABILITY COMPANY NEVADA Suite #100 732 South 6th Street Las Vegas NEVADA 89101
Attorney of Record Marc A. Saggese
Type of Mark SERVICE MARK
Register PRINCIPAL
Live/Dead Indicator LIVE
Well looks like that one is going to be litigated.
ReplyDeleteC&S are now going to have to provide documentation of actual commercial use at the time of their claimed use in 2006 - time dated materials that advertise their litigation services.
There's no doubt that Harris launched his The Defenders campaign sometime last year, but he'll have to prove up first commercial use too.
Any bets on the firms hired to litigate this? Greenberg? Lewis & Roca? Bice? Brownstein?
They should all be ashamed of their use of "The Defenders." It was a fine title for the 1960's tv show. It certainly won't be confused for anything about C&S. There's also a combic book called "The Defenders." How about some originality folks.
ReplyDeleteRichard Harris with a valid criminal defense business? Now that's a joke worthy of a laugh track. Seriously though, I'm not the most well versed when it comes to IP law, but how can you copyright a name as common as "The Defenders"? A quick google search identifies several tv shows, a comic book and several law firms known as "The Defenders." The fact that anyone can can claim the rights to that name boggles my mind.
ReplyDeleteYou're right 3:51; you're obviously not the most well versed when it comes to IP law...
ReplyDelete3:51 - Trademark, not copyright. You can trademark "The Defenders" for legal services although there will be other claimants for other international classes, and probably for other geographic regions too.
ReplyDeleteFor a mark like that there would probably be some settlement agreements for territories with other The Defenders firms, but there's clearly going to be a showdown for who owns The Defenders in Nevada (as far as the USPTO is concerned). It could very well be Rick Harris.
In fact, given his billboard and ad promotions of it, he might even be able to win even as a junior user (second in time), if he can show with evidence that the 'general public' [as defined in TM law] believes that The Defenders are Rick Harris and not C&S. TM is to protect the public from source confusion, and not to exclude competitors like patent.
Glass is administering an FST from the bench. I see some nystagmus!!
ReplyDeletewhoa that posted on the wrong thread
ReplyDelete