How Title I of the JOBS Act Significantly Changed the IPO Playbook

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Historically, federal securities laws have imposed significant – some would say onerous – disclosure and reporting requirements on companies seeking to raise money in the public equities markets. Testing the market was, for the most part, unlawful for fear of conditioning the market of prospective investors to your offering. Comments from the staff of the …Read more

Making it Easier for Private Companies and Emerging Growth Companies to Raise Capital

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In April of 2012, President Obama signed into law the Jumpstart Our Businesses Startups Act (“JOBS Act”). This bipartisan legislation was designed to stimulate job growth by making it easier and less costly for smaller companies to raise capital in the United States by relaxing the regulations that apply to private offerings, initial public offerings …Read more

US Supreme Court Copyright Act Decision – ABC v Aereo

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Developers of new digital technologies that store and transmit data to customers around the world suffered a major set back on June 25, 2014 in the United States Supreme Court Copyright Act Decision in American Broadcasting Cos., Inc. v. Aereo, Inc. The court found that Aereo infringed broadcasters’ copyrights by providing its customers with access to …Read more

Victory in Residential Mortgage Foreclosure Case in Alameda County Superior Court

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The residential mortgage foreclosure crisis continues to grind onward across California resulting in the eviction of thousands of Californians from their homes. Even as numerous banks, including the largest in the United States, have paid billions of dollars in fines and penalties for their unlawful actions, they relentlessly pursue unlawful foreclosures and evictions from the …Read more

Implications of “Raging Bull” Lawsuit for Copyright Owners

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Dust off those old songs, manuscripts and articles because on May 19, 2014, the U.S. Supreme Court issued an opinion in Petrella v. Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, Inc. (the “Raging Bull” lawsuit) that ensures a copyright holder has the right to enforce a copyrighted work, even if it has been dormant for many years, and receive damages, and, …Read more

False Advertising Claim Cases Get a New Standard

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The ability of a plaintiff to bring false advertising claims and concerns over unfair competition under federal trademark law just got a bit easier. On March 25, the U.S. Supreme Court issued its opinion in Lexmark International v. Static Control Components, ruling that Static Control may proceed with its false advertising counterclaim against Lexmark under …Read more

Ten Benefits of U.S. Trademark Registration

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Trademarks are highly valuable assets. According to one recent estimate trademarks can account for as much as one-third of corporate value. The world’s most valuable brand was recently estimated to be worth more than $180 billion. The cost of securing and protecting the benefits of U.S. trademark registration is not a mere cost of doing …Read more

Cybersecurity Protection for your California Business

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Just as the U.S. Department of Commerce’s National Institute of Standards and Technology (“NIST”) completes its version 1.0 National Framework for Improving Critical Infrastructure Cybersecurity, California Attorney General Kamala Harris has made clear she intends a leadership role for California. With the just published guide entitled “Cybersecurity in the Golden State: How California Businesses Can …Read more

Copyright Owners Would Enjoy Greater Protections Under Legislation Pending in U.S. Congress

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Last week we discussed pending legislation working its way through the U.S. Congress that would strengthen several statutes to better protect protect IP owners from trade secret misappropriation and provide them with more sweeping and powerful remedies in the event their trade secrets are stolen. This week we discuss several pieces of legislation being proposed …Read more

Pending Trade Secret & Copyright Legislation Could Further Protect American IP Owners

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Several bills moving their way through the United States Congress would establish or substantially amend certain federal statutes pertaining to protecting, enforcing, and exploiting trade secrets and copyrights created in the United States. Some legislation is aimed at establishing a private right of action for trade secret theft under federal law and to prevent trade …Read more