One of the banes of e-commerce websites is lawsuits filed under the Americans with Disabilities Act (“ADA”), claiming that websites are inaccessible to people who are sight-impaired or have other disabilities. The number of ADA e-commerce lawsuits surged in 2025 and all indications are that this will continue into 2026. For websites that offer hundreds of products for sale, it is virtually impossible to ensure that every product link converts seamlessly to screen readers and other specialized apps designed for accessibility to navigate, search, and purchase items online.
As online sales take over the retail market, it is essential to show strong trademark use of the marks on retail websites to maintain brand identity and support the trademark filings. There are specific requirements in the way one uses the mark on a website so that the USPTO will accept it as trademark use. For trademark owners that sell products as well as run a retail store, there can be applications for the online retail store services and also for the goods sold, assuming those goods are branded with the trademark owner’s trademark. An online retail store that sells the brands of others and not its own brand would not be able to use the website in support of an application for goods.
On May 12, 2022, Andrew Lustigman, Chair of the firm’s Advertising, Marketing & Promotion’s Group and Co-Chair of Brand Management & Protection Group and associate Morgan Spina will present at the Federal Bar Association webinar “Suppressing Negative Reviews Can Lead to Legal Trouble.”