trademarks

They're the brands you can't help but know, with logos that nearly everyone recognizes. These companies were founded back in the 1800s and became major players in the next century -- and the one after that. And while their logos have changed over time, they're essentially just refinements of the originals.

Social-networking giant Facebook made a bit of progress in its five-year effort to trademark the world "face," at least when used in things like online chat rooms and social-networking efforts. The company received what's called a "notice of allowance," which means a decision could be coming in as little as six months.

In a case that tested the boundaries of the Supreme Court's recent expansion of Second Amendment gun rights, the Third Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that some limits still apply: A federal law banning the possession of a gun with an obliterated serial number is constitutional, the court said.

Nadya Suleman, that delightful pixie of fertility who has danced merrily into our hearts and won't leave, has used a California law firm to file two applications to trademark her nickname with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. If they go through, she'll be able to manufacture Octomom diapers,...