ILN IP Insider is starting a new series – we’re featuring interviews with ILN IP lawyers, asking them questions on the state of IP Law in 2016. These will typically be one to two-question interviews with our practitioners from around the world. Our first interview is with Arnstein & Lehr lawyer, Judith Grubner:

What’s the next big thing on the horizon for intellectual property law in 2016?

In light of In Re Tam, where the Federal Circuit just struck down as unconstitutional the non-disparagement clause in Sec. 2(a) of the Lanham Act, the US Patent and Trademark Office may soon be forced to register brand names for medical marijuana strains, currently banned under Sec. 2(a) because as federally illegal substances, marks for such goods are immoral or scandalous.


About Judith Grubner

Screenshot 2015-12-28 18.11.38Judith L. Grubner is a partner in the firm’s Chicago office, specializing in intellectual property law. Ms. Grubner has concentrated her practice on intellectual property and related commercial transactions and litigation. She currently practices in trademarks, copyrights, advertising, unfair competition, domain name disputes, and sweepstakes, contests and game promotions law.

Ms. Grubner is a member of the American Bar Association, Intellectual Property Law Association of Chicago, and Chicago Bar Association. She has published numerous articles and has been a lecturer in the fields of trademark, copyright and sweepstakes law for over 25 years. Ms. Grubner graduated from Oberlin College in 1973 and The George Washington University National Law Center in 1976. She is admitted to the state and federal courts in Illinois and the District of Columbia as well as several other U.S. District Courts and U.S. Courts of Appeals.

Judith Grubner
Partner, Intellectual Property Law | Arnstein & Lehr LLP
Phone 312.876.7885 | Email jlgrubner@arnstein.com
Biography | LinkedIn