Joe Dreitler and Mary True

Joseph R. Dreitler is a well-known trademark, copyright, unfair competition, internet and licensing attorney, with more than twenty five years of experience. Dreitler's law practice is exclusively devoted to these areas of intellectual property, including litigation. Joe was named in the International Who's Who of Trademark Lawyers (2009), in August 2007 by World Trademark Review as one of the Top 20 trademark lawyers in the United States as "The trademark expert's expert". He is listed in the Guide to the World's Leading Experts in Trade Mark Law; Chambers USA: America's Leading Lawyers and Who’sWho Legal. Dreitler and Mary True conduct civil and administrative litigation; provide legal advice and client counseling on all trademark, copyright, internet, domain name, unfair competition, licensing, joint venture and corporate I.P. issues, both U.S. and international at Bricker & Eckler.

Why should you hire Dreitler and True instead of a “big name” law firm in a major city? For the same reason that they both left one of the most prestigious and successful global law firms to join a smaller regional firm. Dreitler and True recognized that trademark, copyright and advertising issues do not require large teams of partners and associates. A small group of experienced trademark lawyers can handle any case or portfolio. Many mid-size and even larger companies – in major cities like New York - have recognized that there are a lot of areas of the law (labor law comes to mind) where a company does not need to pay the high hourly rates and overhead cost structures that are charged by big law firms and firms in major cities to get the same quality legal service. Unlike some firms which are proud to have lawyers with high hourly rates, Dreitler and True know that clients appreciate the fact that their rates are today much lower than they were in 2005.

You don’t need to be physically located in a major city to provide high quality legal service in the trademark, copyright and advertising fields, you can be anywhere your computer and cell phone will take you. In today’s world companies hire lawyers, they rarely hire law firms. And that is the reason why many companies have hired us over the years and worked with us on these matters. It was not because of the firm we were with, but because they appreciated our no nonsense and practical approach, based upon 50 years of combined legal practice. See here for a list of our references.

Dreitler and True have successfully defended Red Wing Shoe Company in They obtained a motion for dismissal in a copyright and design patent infringement suit seeking $2.9 Billion against their clients Target Corporation, Iconix, Phillips Van-Heusen, Sean John Clothing, Columbia Sportswear and Bon Ton Stores.(40k pdf) (update) Pocket Patent Suit Against Levi's To Be Tossed. (56k PDF)

They successfully defended Red Wing Shoe Company in a false advertising/false designation of origin case in the Southern District of Ohio. Here is an excerpt from the client to Dreitler and True:
"First of all, I want to express my thanks and gratitude to the two of you. Little did we know when we started down this path that it would drag on for nearly four years. Although it is a shame it took that long, it ended exactly where you predicted it would during our first conversation and first meeting. You two know the law and without your experience and guidance, I'm not sure we would have ended where we did. So again, thank you for the great work and outstanding counsel." Dave Baker Executive Vice President and General Counsel Red Wing Shoe Company, Inc.

Dreitler and True represented Tiffany, Burberry, Kate Spade and Gucci in a counterfeiting case in U.S. District Court. Dreitler and True obtained a Temporary Restraining Order (TRO) and product recall order in U.S. District Court on behalf of Elizabeth Arden, ordering that a knock-off of "Curious" Britney Spears perfume be recalled from store shelves. Elizabeth Arden Inc. v. Belcam Inc., 76 USPQ2D 1747 (S.D. Ohio 2005); and successfully defended former Vice President Al Gore against efforts to enjoin the launch of cable TV channel, Current TV. Current Communications Group LLC v. Current Media LLC, 76 USPQ2d 1686 (DC SD Ohio 2005).

Their practice includes brand development, name clearance, trademark searching, filing applications and prosecuting them in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. They provide quick, practical investigative assistance regarding the actual use of trademarks that appear on search reports, and also represents clients in opposition and cancellation actions at the PTO.

Dreitler and True work with clients on the trademark, copyright and domain name aspects of global business transactions, including conducting due diligence and drafting of agreements for mergers, acquisitions, divestitures, bankruptcies, licensing of joint ventures, franchises and the establishing and operation of intellectual property holding companies. Their merger, acquisition and divestiture experience includes such famous businesses as Orange Crush, Max Factor, Vicks, Olay, Eagle Snacks, Corona beer, Hawaiian Punch, Metamucil, Cover Girl, Old Spice, Sunny Delight, Starter clothing, New York magazine, Indian motorcycle and Ortho chemical. 

What differentiates us? We are not patent lawyers. Trademark law is the focus of our practice!  Trademark, copyright and unfair competition law is not a sideline

We have hands-on experience in global brand development for corporations. We provide legal services with internal budgeting and obtain business goals.

 Mr. Dreitler has or is currently serving the following organizations:

 Past Chair of the Board of Governors Intellectual Property Law Section of the Ohio State Bar Association.

 Served on the Board of Directors of the International Trademark Association (INTA).

 Chair of INTA's Amicus Curiae Brief Committee.

 Assisted on the brief in INTA's Amicus brief to the Supreme Court in Qualitex vs. Jacobson.

 Co-author of INTA's brief to the Second Circuit Court of Appeals in the case of Warner Vision Entertainment Inc. v. Empire of Carolina Inc. The Second Circuit cited the brief with approval in reversing the trial court's decision on the intent to use provisions of the Trademark Law Revision Act (TLRA).

Joe Dreitler has frequently written and spoken on both U.S. and international trademark, unfair competition, licensing and copyright issues. His article on the Tiger Woods case was published in the Akron University Law Review. His article on "Pre-Filing Strategies and Evaluation" appeared in the IP Litigator magazine; his article on trade dress issues and the Pebble Beach v. Tour 18 case was published in the National Law Journal; his article on the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame case was published in the National Law Journal. He spoke at the International Trademark Association (INTA) 2009 INTA Annual Meeting in Seattle on ethics; the Annual Meeting in San Diego on trademark fair use; the 2004 Annual Meeting on ethics; the Practicing Law Institute (PLI) seminar in New York on protecting non-traditional trademarks; the University of Akron law school IP Symposium on Right of Publicity; the Madrid Protocol and its use by multi-national trademark owners at INTA's Leadership Meeting; he was Chair of INTA’s Trademark Trial and Appeal Board (TTAB) forum in Washington; and spoke at INTA’s Cyberspace law conference in Chicago.

Dreitler holds a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Cincinnati, a Juris Doctor degree from Chase College of Law, and is admitted to the Ohio Bar and U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Ohio.

Click here to find out about Dreitler and True's achievements, affiliations, and personal history

Joe has been interviewed by abcnews.com (Alice Gomstyn) on Harvard University's efforts at obtaining trademark rights in various advertising slogans to describe its business school.
Joe was interviewed about trademark law by Alison Stewart on National Public Radio. Download the 8.46meg mp3 file. He was also interviewed about Anheuser-Busch being acquired by the Belgian brewer InBev. This might allow a settlement to the world's largest running (100 year old) trademark dispute which Joe worked on from 1993-96.