Recent Developments in Trademark Law 2025

A pre-recorded streaming VIDEO replay of the October 2025 webcast, Recent Developments in Trademark Law 2025.

Trademark law evolves rapidly. Providing an update on the most important developments in trademark law occurring over the past year, this year’s program reviews recent administrative changes at the USPTO, examines a recent United States Supreme Court decision on damages, explores the effects of fraud in trademark filing, and previews some big decisions on the horizon.

For trademark-law novices, within each development, the program provides background concerning that area of trademark law. For experienced trademark law practitioners, each development examines the important details of the development and best practices and practice pointers for handling it.

Join us for this essential annual program taught by John Farmer, an intellectual property attorney with more than 30 years of experience in trademark law. Mr. Farmer has taught a yearly update on recent developments in trademark law for Virginia CLE^® for more than 15 years.

• Recent USPTO administrative developments that affect your practice
• The dangers of joint mark ownership by a group with a recent tale of woe and lessons learned
• The Supreme Court speaks: Seeking trademark infringement damages when the infringer is a family of companies
• Losing mark rights due to genericness: Who has the burden of proof, and when is genericness measured?
• Fraud in trademark filings: When can it destroy a mark registration?
• Remote trademark infringers: When can you act? When must you act?
• Mark registration and registration cancellation procedures: When are you safely across the goal line?
• The Cutting Room Floor: Quick hits on other important developments
• Periscope: Big cases to watch

John B. Farmer, Leading-Edge Law Group, PLC / Richmond

John B. Farmer is a member of the Leading-Edge Law Group, PLC, an intellectual property (“IP”) boutique law firm in Richmond, Virginia. He served as chairman of the Trademark Public Advisory Committee of the United States Patent and Trademark Office. He writes a monthly IP and technology law column for the Richmond Times-Dispatch. 

Mr. Farmer is listed in the top rank of Virginia IP attorneys by Chambers USA and listed for IP in Best Lawyers in America.  He is a past chair of the IP Section of the Virginia State Bar. He is a past president of the Greater Richmond Intellectual Property Law Association. 

Mr. Farmer graduated from the University of Virginia and its law school. After graduation from law school, he clerked for the Honorable Donald S. Russell, Judge of the U.S. Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals, and for the Honorable James C. Cacheris, Judge of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia, Richmond Division.