Showing 52 posts in Intellectual Property.
Virtual Panel: TikTok, WeChat & More: Talking Tech and IP in The U.S. & China
The U.S. and China compete for global dominance in the areas of tech and innovation; however, in an era of global firms and global citizens they must also learn to cooperate. Read More ›
Categories: Compliance, Intellectual Property, Technology
Share
What’s in a Name? Protecting Your Business’s Name from a Look-Alike
Due to the depth of information this article provides, the full article is linked below and is also featured under 'Publications' on this site.
As the old phrase goes: what’s in a name? For any business, a name is a brand. A name is tied to a reputation, a marketing strategy, and a presence within an industry. We have all laughed at off-brand products in grocery store aisles: Mountain Mist masquerading as Mountain Dew, Mr. Pibb stepping in for Dr. Pepper, or Cinnamon Crunch Squares replacing Cinnamon Toast Crunch. Other times, similar names represent companies in unrelated industries: Domino Sugar vs. Domino’s Pizza or Delta Airlines vs. Delta Faucets. But when does a company’s name cross the line into violating another company’s rights?
See the full article here.
Categories: Intellectual Property, Trademarks
What to Consider Before Filing a Patent
This blog has since been updated with new information
What is eligible for patent protection?
In the U.S., what is known as a "general utility patent" or what most people typically imagine a patent to be, protects the use and function of an invention. Processes, machines, articles of manufacture and compositions of matter are all patent eligible. You cannot get a patent for an abstract idea or something that you discover in nature; you have to have a true physical invention or a process that creates a transformation of some kind in order to be eligible. Read More ›
Categories: Copyright, Intellectual Property
Million Dollar Baby: Licensing Terms to Protect Your Ideas
You have an idea, a million dollar invention! You have applied for and received a patent to protect that invention, but now what? One way to make money with your invention is to license your intellectual property rights to a third-party for production or use. Read More ›
Categories: Intellectual Property, Licensing, Patents, Startup
Supreme Court Strikes Down Provision of Lanham Act That Barred Registration of Disparaging Trademarks
The United States Supreme Court recently struck down a provision of the Lanham Act that denies registration of disparaging trademarks. Read More ›
Categories: Intellectual Property, News, Trademarks
Copyright is “In Fashion” Following Supreme Court’s Decision Upholding Protection for Cheerleading Uniform Design
On March 22, 2017, in a 6-2 decision, the U.S. Supreme Court affirmed a ruling by the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals in the case of Star Athletica LLC v. Varsity Brands Inc. that two-dimensional graphic designs are entitled to copyright protection as “pictorial, graphic, and sculptural works” under the copyright law for useful articles under certain circumstances. It is the first time that the Supreme Court has addressed copyright protection for apparel, and the ruling bolsters legal protections for members of the fashion and apparel industries. Read More ›
Categories: Copyright, Intellectual Property
Supreme Court Examines Where Proper Venue Lies for Patent Infringement Lawsuit
The Supreme Court recently decided a case involving the patent venue statute 28 U. S. C. §1400(b). The case, TC Heartland v. Kraft Foods Group Brands, No. 16-341, concerned flavored drink mixes made by TC Heartland, which is based in Indiana. Kraft sued it claiming patent infringement in Delaware, which has a high concentration of patent suits. Read More ›
Categories: Intellectual Property, Patents
Big Hollywood Studios Win Injunction Against Streamer VidAngel in Copyright Infringement Case
A big legal battle has been bre
wing between upstart video streamer VidAngel and Hollywood heavyweights Disney, Warner Bros., and 20th Century Fox. So far, the studios have scored a clean knockdown, if not a knockout.
VidAngel describes itself as a family-friendly video streamer that allows users the ability to filter language, nudity and violence from movies and TV shows. Its business model involves selling new movies to customers for $20, allowing customers to select which snippets of content to edit out, and then buying movies back for $19. The price VidAngel will pay to buy back the content diminishes by a dollar for each day the buyer keeps it. In other words, VidAngel does not license the movies from the studios who hold the copyrights to the content like, for example, Netflix does.
The big studios took notice, and in June filed suit, alleging that VidAngel was operating as an “unlicensed [video on demand] streaming service.” Among other claims, the studios requested that the court grant an injunction blocking VidAngel from continuing to stream films. VidAngel fired back with counterclaims alleging antitrust violations by the studios. Read More ›
Categories: Copyright, Intellectual Property, Technology
5 Tips for Investigating and Purchasing Cyber Insurance
In 2016 Lansing, MI's Board of Water and Light fell victim to a cyber-attack that resulted in $2.4 million in costs, including a $25,000 ransom paid to the perpetrators. In the aftermath of the breach, BWL announced that it was filing for a $1.9 million insurance claim under its cyber insurance policy, including $2 million in covered losses, less a $10,000 deductible.
There is a lot at stake for businesses when it comes to cyber-crime, which is why more and more businesses are investigating and purchasing cyber insurance to hedge against the risks associated with cyber security and data privacy. Read More ›
Categories: Intellectual Property, News, Privacy, Technology
Action Required to Keep Your DMCA Safe Harbor Protection
The U.S. Copyright Office recently implemented new rules (the “Rules”) governing the designation and maintenance of Digital Millennium Copyright Act (“DMCA”) agent information under a new electronic system. The Rules went into effect on December 1, 2016, so electronic designations should be filed as soon as possible. Service providers who fail to submit electronic designations will be ineligible for the safe harbor protections from copyright-infringement liability provided by the DMCA. Read More ›
Categories
- Compliance
- Hospitals
- Intellectual Property
- Financing
- HIPAA
- Entity Planning
- Copyright
- Technology
- Licensing
- Labor Relations
- Lawsuit
- Chapter 11
- Cybersecurity
- Domain Name Registration
- Contracts
- Employee Benefits
- Social Media
- Privacy
- Sales Tax
- Did you Know?
- Personal Publicity Rights
- Trade Secrets
- Mergers & Acquisitions
- Distribution
- Digital Assets
- Alerts and Updates
- News
- Trademarks
- Insurance
- Crowdfunding
- Patents
- Tax Disputes
- Estate Planning
- Employment
- Department of Labor
- Regulations
- Entity Selection, Organization & Planning
- IT Contracts
- Startup
- Cloud Computing
- Legislative Updates
- Venture Capital/Funding
- E-Commerce
- Tax
- Electronic Health Records
- Sales/Disputes
- Liability
- Fraud & Abuse
- Inspirational
- Criminal
- Hospice
- Retirement