Recognizing and Protecting Your Family Business’ Most Basic Intellectual Property Rights

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Just about every business, including your family business, likely owns some form of intellectual property (“IP”).  IP can include trademarks, patents, copyrights or trade secrets.  IP rights allow your business to protect economically valuable intangible assets.  Once secured, IP rights allow your company to develop powerful competitive advantages in the marketplace where your goods and …Read more

Balancing the First Amendment Protection of Artistic Expression Against the Trademark Rights of a Global Brand in the Digital World

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On May 18, 2022, U.S. District Judge Jed Rakoff issued a written decision refusing to dismiss Hermes’ trademark infringement lawsuit against Los Angeles designer Mason Rothschild over Rothschild’s “MetaBirkins” non-fungible tokens (“NFT”).  The case has been closely watched by trademark lawyers and NFT creators because it represents a familiar clash between federal trademark law and the …Read more

Secure and Protect Brand Names, Logos, and Domain Names Before Creating Value in Them

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Once you have formed and organized your new technology company, one of your first tasks should be to secure your commercial rights to the company’s business and essential brand names, logos and domain names while the business is still in the conceptual stage.  When your company is new, and yet to demonstrate it has any …Read more

Trademark Office Issues New Guidlines on Trademarking Cannabis Products and Services

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The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (“PTO”) issued new guidelines on May 2, 2019, clarifying that trademarks for certain cannabis and cannabis-derived goods and services are now eligible for federal trademark protection. The PTO issued the guidelines to clarify the procedure for examining marks for these goods and services following passage of the 2018 Farm …Read more

Why Register Trademarks With the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office

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If you’ve just launched a technology start-up and you’re preparing to bring your goods or services to market nationally or globally it’s important that you take steps to protect and register trademarks you’ll need to grow your company into a national or global brand. Trademarks and service marks identify the source of goods and services, …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