Social Technologies LLC recently filed a lawsuit against Apple Inc. ("Apple") accusing the tech giant of falsely indicating that it holds a trade-mark over the “Memoji” mark in the United States.
“Memoji” is the name of Apple’s new personalized emoji feature for iPhone and iPad, introduced as part of iOS 12. Apple has included “MEMOJI TM” in its list of U.S. trade-marks on its website since June of this year. However, Social Technologies is currently the holder of the federally registered trade-mark for “Memoji” and argues that Apple’s inclusion of “Memoji” in its list is misleading.
Social Technologies offers an Android app named “Memoji” on the Google Play store, which the company describes as “the world’s best messaging app that will capture the facial expression of the end user with full-motion capabilities, and transpose the image into a custom, personalized emoji of the user’s actual face”. Social Technologies is seeking a declaration that it owns the only federally registered Memoji trade-mark.
Apple has applied for two Memoji trade-marks with the U.S. Patent and Trade-Mark Office (one being “MEMOJI” and the other being “MEmoji”) but both applications are currently suspended due to the ongoing litigation with Social Technologies.
Author: Duncan Lurie
Photo Credit: Fausto Garcia on Unsplash
Authors
Expertise
Insights
-
Intellectual Property Litigation
Trademarks Opposition Board Moves to Digital-Only Submission of Confidential Information
As of June 1, 2026, the Trademarks Opposition Board (TMOB) requires all confidential evidence and documentation in proceedings under sections 11.13, 38, or 45 of the Trademarks Act (the “Act”) to be… -
Intellectual Property Litigation
Kansas City Chiefs Stars Sued for Trademark Infringement Over Steakhouse
The sneaker company, 1587 Sneakers, is reportedly suing Kansas City Chiefs players, Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce, along with their restaurant partners, for trademark infringement.1587 Sneakers… -
Intellectual Property Litigation
A Pecking Order Problem: Pudgy Penguins Faces Penguin Trademark Lawsuit
As reported by Bloomberg Law News, PEI Licensing (“PEI”), the owner of the Penguin apparel brand, has sued Pudgy Penguins NFT (“Pudgy Penguins”) for trademark infringement.Pudgy Penguins started as a… -
Intellectual Property Litigation
Old Brand, New Problems? Nike’s Attempt to Revive “Total 90” Soccer Cleats
Nike is reportedly attempting to revive its classic “Total 90” soccer cleat line, but has encountered an unexpected setback. Total90, LLC has reportedly asserted that Nike is infringing its… -
Intellectual Property Litigation
A Swing and a Miss: The “All Rise” Trademark Attempt
As reported by Bloomberg, attempts to register marks covering the phrases “All Rise” and “Here Comes the Judge” were rejected by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit. In… -
Intellectual Property Litigation
Hershey’s Kisses Go to Court – Federal Court of Appeal Decision in PIM Brands Inc. v. Hershey Chocolate & Confectionery LLC
The Federal Court of Appeal’s recent decision in Promotion in Motion, Inc. (PIM Brands, Inc.) v. Hershey Chocolate & Confectionery LLC offers fresh guidance on how courts evaluate survey evidence…