September 13, 2013

“Troy attorney has handled notable trademark cases and applications,” Legal News, September 13, 2013

Fishermen often talk about “the one that got away.”

For intellectual property attorney Geoff Aurini, a trademark that got away was “Mr. October” for baseball outfielder Reggie Jackson, a moniker the Hall of Famer earned for his heroic clutch power hitting in the 1977 World Series; and the nickname is featured on merchandise and in his Mr. October Foundation for Kids. During previous work as a USPTO Examiner, Aurini worked with an examiner/mentor who was a passionate Yankees fan.

“When Reggie Jackson’s application was assigned to me randomly, he offered to examine a more ‘complicated’ case in exchange for Mr. October,” Aurini says. “I was a Yankees fan when Mr. October and ‘Louisiana Lighting’ – Rod Guidry – were in their heyday, and looking back would not make that exchange again.”

But Aurini, now a partner with Harness IP & Pierce in Troy, has had plenty of other fascinating cases, including work on registration of the quirky “Crazy Good” trademark for Pop-Tarts toaster pastries during two years as in-house trademark counsel for a Fortune 500 consumer packaged goods company.

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