Categories

Netflix started out 2019 with a fresh Trademark lawsuit filed over their “Black Mirror: Bandersnatch” film. The film has been a big hit as Netflix took advantage of the strong following their original series, Black Mirror, already had. Bandersnatch allows viewers to dictate the story line and ultimately decide the...

What should I do to protect the goods and/or services associated with my business? You may want to consider filing a federal trademark application if you haven't done so yet. A trademark is any symbol, word, slogan, design, or any combination associated with your particular goods and/or services. A trademark...

What is a trade secret and what types of information can trade secrets protect? A trade secret may consist of any formula, pattern, device, or compilation of information that is used in your business and can provide an advantage in the marketplace over competitors who do not know it. Trade...

What is a patent? There are three types of patents in the United States: utility patents, design patents and plant patents. A utility patent protects the way a machine, article or process is used and works. A design patent protects the ornamental design of an item. A plant patent protects...

What is a copyright and who can claim it? Copyrights give exclusive legal rights to an author or the author's assignee to reproduce, distribute, perform, display and prepare derivative works of any original work of authorship. Original works of authorship include literary, dramatic and artistic works, architecture and ornamental designs....

What is intellectual property?  Intellectual property law protects copyrights, trademarks, trade secrets, and patents.  Copyrights refer to any original work of authorship and cover creative works such as literature, illustrations, films, and songs. Trademarks cover branding such as a business or product name, symbols or slogans associated with a particular...

Using independent contractors (ICs) can give your company an edge in today's thriving gig economy, but if you are not careful, contractors can also be a serious liability. In fact, working with ICs comes with a number of unique legal and financial risks that can be potentially ruinous to your...

Don't Mess with Grumpy Cat. On Monday, January 22, a California federal court awarded Grumpy Cat Limited ("Grumpy Cat") $710,000 in damages for numerous claims against Grenade Beverage LLC ("Grenade Beverage"), a California-based beverage company. The original complaint, filed by Grumpy Cat on December 11, 2015, accused Grenade Beverage for...

You don't have to be a famous producer or household name to own intellectual property. If you create music, own a business, write stories, or build gadgets in your garage, you almost certainly have intellectual property. However, because intellectual property is intangible, it's often overlooked in estate planning. And if...

Employee-Created Intellectual Property: If you're a creative employee, you may be wondering who owns the intellectual property rights to your creations. Employee-created assets can involve all types of intellectual property, including trademarks, logos, designs, illustrations, literary works, photographs, software, and even plants. The general rule is that employers own the...