Bob Felber is a partner at Waller Lansden and leads the firm's Intellectual Property practice. His practice involves all aspects of intellectual property and related corporate business transactions with a particular emphasis on domestic and international trademark searching, prosecution, enforcement, counseling and dispute resolution. Mr. Felber is recognized in The Best Lawyers in America (Woodward White, Inc.) for his work in intellectual property law.
Advising clients across a wide range of industries, Mr. Felber has extensive experience in matters involving trademark, copyright, domain name, trade dress and related areas of Internet, e-commerce unfair competition, customs and advertising law. He has represented clients in intellectual property administrative proceedings before the U.S. Trademark Trial and Appeal Board and in domain name dispute resolution proceedings before ICANN. His practice also encompasses intellectual property licensing, franchising, product distribution and trade secrets. Mr. Felber also has established corporate intellectual property programs and conducted corporate audits and domestic and international due diligence investigations.
Mr. Felber assists consumer products manufacturers in developing, registering and protecting their brand names in both the United States and abroad. He also works with companies in the development of franchising and product distribution programs.
Mr. Felber has written extensively on trademark law issues and developments, and he has spoken frequently on the topic in seminars presented by the Nashville Bar Association and other organizations.
Clerkships and Previous Affiliations
· Member, Farris Warfield & Kanaday, Nashville, TN, 1984-1994
· Member, Yopp & Sweeney, PLC, Nashville, TN, 1994-2000
Professional Activities
· Chairman, Intellectual Property Section, Nashville Bar Association
· Member, Nashville, Tennessee and American Bar Associations
· Member, Tennessee Intellectual Property Law Association
· Member, International Trademark Association
- Member, Government Officials Education & Training Committee
- Past Member, Bulletin Committee (2008-2011)
· Member, Nashville Advertising Federation
· Author, "Business Organizations" Chapter of Tennessee Practice (West 1992)
Articles
3/30/2012, Arbitration versus mediation, Tactics, the newspaper of the PRSA
2/13/2012, "You May Already be a Winner: How to Play by the Rules," Tactics, the newspaper of the PRSA
2/1/2012, "Music Application Hits Sour Note at TTAB," INTA Bulletin, Vol. 67 No.3
3/2/2011, "TTAB Gives Thumbs Up to Trek's THUMBDRIVE Mark"
12/1/2010, "FREDERICK WILDMAN Not Similar to FREDERICK WILLIAM," INTA Bulletin, Dec. 1, 2010
9/15/2010, Pork Diluted by Salmon's Claim to Be "The Other" Meat
8/2/2010, "UNITED STATES: Paradise Won," INTA Bulletin, August 1, 2010
6/15/2010, "Court Finds ML Confusingly Similar to ML Mark Lees," INTA Bulletin, June 15, 2010
3/1/2010, "Picture Not Worth a Thousand Words as Applied to Web-Based Specimen," INTA Bulletin, March 1, 2010
3/1/2010, "Auction Drives Company to Protect LA-Z-BOY Mark," INTA Bulletin, Feb. 15, 2010
3/1/2010, "Opposer's Fraud Allegation Loses Energy at TTAB," INTA Bulletin, Dec. 1, 2009
3/1/2010, "MATTRESS.COM Application Loses Its Spring," INTA Bulletin, Feb 15, 2010
9/24/2009, Federal Circuit Clarifies Standard for Fraud on the United States Patent and Trademark Office
8/24/2009, Protecting Your Brand On Twitter And Second Life
6/29/2009, "Fender Hits Sour Note at Trademark Trial and Appeal Board," INTA Bulletin, June 15, 2009.
6/12/2009, Protecting Your Brand from Facebook-Squatting
1/22/2009, "USPTO Changes Standard of Review for Letters of Protest," INTA Bulletin, January, 2009.
10/31/2008, The "PRO-IP Act" of 2008
10/16/2008, "TTAB Addresses Registability of Individual Name," INTA Bulletin, October 15, 2008.
9/18/2008, Firm Ranked Number One for Health Care, Government Relations, Mass Tort Litigation, Bankruptcy, Antitrust and Tax Law in Nashville and Tennessee
7/18/2008, "Rebuttable Presumption Against Fraud When Application is Amended Before Publication," INTA Bulletin, July 15, 2008.
4/3/2008, "TTAB Dismisses Opposition for Lack of Service," INTA Bulletin, April 1, 2008.
4/3/2008, "TTAB Finds SUGAR NO. 11, SUGAR NO. 14 and COTTON NO. 2 Not Descriptive," INTA Bulletin, March 15, 2008.
9/11/2007, Waller Lansden News: Best Lawyers in America Honors 45 Waller Lansden Attorneys
4/5/2007, New Franchise Act Proposed for Tennessee
10/13/2006, Trademark Dilution Revision Act of 2006
5/3/2006, Congress Closes Loophole and Toughens Penalties on Counterfeiters
11/30/2005, Waller Lansden News: Waller Lansden Announces New Trademark Tracking Extranet
8/16/2005, New Electronic Trademark Application System Reduces Filing Fees
2/17/2005, U.S. Companies Can Now File International Trademarks Electronically
1/5/2005, Patent and Trademark Office Announces Filing Fee Increases Effective January 31, 2005
11/17/2004, Exercise Caution When Registering a Trademark - You Could Lose It
5/7/2004, Ask the Legal Professional As seen in the Nashville Business Journal on May 7, 2004: What is the Difference Between a Patent, Copyright and Trademark?
3/23/2004, The Effects of the New CAN-SPAM Act on Legitimate Businesses