Gus Sardiña Featured in Law.com on the Trademark Risks of Descriptive Branding
Reading Time: 1 minute
In an article published March 18th by Law.com, Jimerson Birr trademarks and IP attorney Gus Sardiña explores the hidden legal vulnerabilities facing food and beverage brands that rely on common descriptive terms like “Craft,” “Farmhouse,” or “Reserve.” Gus highlights that while these terms are marketing gold for signaling quality, they often result in crowded trademark fields that are notoriously difficult to defend.
“The problem is not that these terms are misleading or improper. The problem is that they are everywhere,” Sardiña writes. “When too many brands rely on the same language to communicate quality or positioning, trademark rights become weaker, harder to enforce, and more vulnerable than they appear on paper.”
Subscribers can read the full article on Law.com – https://www.law.com/dailybusinessreview/2026/03/18/what-risks-come-with-using-common-descriptive-terms-like-craft-farmhouse-or-reserve-in-food-and-beverage-names/