Page Vault Resources

When “Dupes” Turn Into Lawsuits: What Smucker, Lululemon & Aldi Reveal About IP Battles in 2025

Last Updated November 2025

Private-label design has moved from harmless imitation to legally actionable mimicry and courts are taking notice. According to the Private Label Manufacturers Association (PLMA), U.S. store-brand sales grew 3.9% last year to a record $271 billion, signaling a structural shift in consumer behavior — and a growing threat to manufacturers with well-established brand equity.

This shift has corresponded with an observable uptick in trademark litigation that includes trade dress allegations. Commentators note that courts are increasingly entertaining trade dress claims — a trend that signals brand owners are treating trade dress as a regular component of their enforcement strategies. Although trade dress filings make up a smaller percentage of overall trademark cases, courts are seeing an increasing number of disputes centered on product design, packaging, and overall look-and-feel, particularly in actions involving private-label or “lookalike” goods.

The result? Retailers are pushing design boundaries, national brands are drawing firmer lines, and courts are increasingly tasked with determining where “inspiration” becomes “infringement.”

When Screenshots Fail and Authentication Wins: Modern Case Law on Online Evidence found using Minerva26

Last Updated November 2025

Courts today are drawing sharper lines around how online evidence must be collected and authenticated. In disputes spanning trademark, criminal, and civil litigation, screenshots alone rarely suffice. Judges increasingly expect digital evidence to be backed by metadata, certification, or testimony linking it to its source. By leveraging Minerva26, we located recent cases that confirm this approach in practice.

Adapting to USPTO Rule Changes in 2025: What Trademark Practitioners Need to Know

Last Updated November 2025

The practice of trademark prosecution has always required precision, but the changes that took effect at the USPTO in January 2025 decisively changed how that precision is measured. The retirement of the long-familiar TEAS Plus and TEAS Standard filing options, the rollout of the new Trademark Center, the introduction of significant surcharges for incomplete or inefficient applications, and the continued tightening of specimen standards together mark a new era for practitioners.

When Online Evidence Holds Up in IP Cases

Last Updated November 2025

From sneakers and coffee pods to mobile apps and even fake magazine covers, intellectual property (IP) disputes increasingly turn on what happens online. Product listings, social media promotions, and digital ads often become central to claims of trademark infringement, false advertising, or unfair competition.

IPR Just Got Stricter: What the New PTAB Rule Means—and Why Page Vault Already Has You Covered

Last Updated November 2025

On July 31, 2025, the USPTO issued a three-page memo instructing the PTAB to stop waiving and start enforcing Rule 42.104(b)(4). For petitions filed after September 1, every claim limitation must be mapped to a pinpoint location in a printed publication or patent. Anything else—including AAPA—can no longer supply a missing element (though it can still explain motivation to combine). The Office says the bright-line approach aligns PTAB practice with the Federal Circuit’s recent Shockwave decision and will cut down on remands.

What’s New at Page Vault: Celebrating Our 2025 Feature Drops

Last Updated November 2025

If 2025 had a theme for us, it’d be: “Make it faster, make it easier, and let legal teams do more.”