“Have you ever seen Dallas from a DC-9 at night?” Dallas by The Flatlanders
When you think of Dallas, many images snap to mind. The grainy, jarring frames of Abraham Zapruder’s home movie, Lee Harvey Oswald doubled over from the blast from Jack Ruby’s pistol, Tom Landry stalking the sidelines of the Cotton Bowl in his suit, tie, and hat, the portrait of Jock Ewing hanging over Miss Ellie’s mantle at Southfork, Tony Romo’s smirk, Larry Hagman’s devilish grin as JR Ewing over two generations of Dallas, the soap opera.
Trademarks, however, are not top of mind when you land at DFW or Love Field, not even as you make your way to the flagship Nieman Marcus in downtown Big D.
But here in Dallas this week in May, almost 10,000 trademark professionals–in-house corporate lawyers, outside counsel, Internet and domain name specialists, and flocks of experts and service providers–have descended on Dallas for the 135th International Trademark Association Annual Meeting.
Trademarks and Texas have come a long way since 1888 when the first annual meeting took place. Then, a “brand” in Texas literally meant a symbol seared into the hide of a cow. And justice was meted out by Judge Roy Bean, whose “Law West of the Pecos” entailed more hangings than injunctions for trademark infringement. (We shudder to think of how Judge Bean would have dealt with such devious hombres as counterfeiters and cyber squatters).
And those first INTA attendees back in 1888 would marvel at the range of topics swirling around INTA 2013–social media, fluid trademarks, gtdls, and the “food explosion” and other trendy subjects speak to the complexities and challenges of our brand-centric modern era.
Dallas has been hospitable and impressive. And steeped in history, from the life size sculpture of a long horn cattle drive that speaks to Texas’ Lonesome Dove days to the Texas Book Depository that reminds us of a dark day in November fifty years ago.
Having grown up in Lawrence NJ, I naturally gravitated to the Hotel Lawrence, a venerable establishment that makes up in friendly staff what it lacks in luxury. It’s just a block from Dealey Plaza, and sleeping in the vicinity of JFK’s final ride has conjured up some fitful dreams while rekindling interest in the “single bullet theory” and other conspiracies that seldom haunt my thoughts back home.
Yes, as those Texas troubadours The Flatlanders sing, Dallas is a beautiful sight, and a haunting one too.
QUOTE OF THE DAY: “Hang ’em first and try ’em later.” Judge Roy Bean.
softrights 
Dallas is pure ego. Houston has humility.