
How to Avoid Getting Sued
From Naming in an AI Age by The NameStormers
October 24, 2025 · 13 min · Season 3 · Episode 25
About this episode
Mike Carr and Ashley Elliott discuss how to reduce legal risk in brand naming using case studies.
In this episode of Naming in the AI Age, Mike Carr and Ashley Elliott discuss how to reduce legal risk in brand naming, using the Smucker’s vs. Trader Joe’s case as an example. They contrast descriptive names like Trader Joe’s Crustless Peanut Butter and Strawberry Jam Sandwiches - clear but hard to protect - with distinctive names like Smucker’s Uncrustables, which are unique and ownable. Mike and Ashley explain that naming strategy should align with business goals: private labels can lean o...
People in this episode
Host: Mike Carr
Guest: Ashley Elliott
Topics covered
- legal risk
- brand naming
- naming strategy
- distinctive names
- descriptive names
Keywords
- legal risk
- brand naming
- Smucker’s
- Trader Joe’s
- naming strategy
- distinctive names
- descriptive names
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: Smucker’s, Trader Joe’s
Products: Trader Joe’s Crustless Peanut Butter and Strawberry Jam Sandwiches, Smucker’s Uncrustables
More episodes of Naming in an AI Age
- How to Avoid “Name Slop”: Why AI-Generated Names Fail & What to Do About It · January 8, 2026 · 4 min
- Why Getting a Trademark Registration Is So Much Harder · December 4, 2025 · 3 min
- DuPont & Polaroid Factors: Infringement and Likelihood of Confusion · November 20, 2025 · 8 min
- How to Read a USPTO Trademark Regestration · October 16, 2025 · 4 min
- How To Use Your Trademark Correctly · October 9, 2025 · 4 min
- Trademark Law and Naming Strategy: Why Distinctive Names Matter · September 25, 2025 · 7 min
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