Your company’s employee handbook is one of the most important assets surrounding the protection of your intellectual property, primarily because trade secrets are especially vulnerable to employee theft. Because employee theft of intellectual property is costly and sometimes even catastrophic to companies, it is vital that businesses have a plan in place for insider threats.…
If you’re wondering if you need to establish a terms of use and privacy policy for your website, the answer is a resounding yes. The European Union recently enacted began enforcing their General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), which protects visitors to websites from unknowingly having their personal data gathered for the website business use. No…
AN OVERVIEW OF USPTO OFFICE ACTIONS Approximately three months after the moment when you file your trademark application and pay your fee, you may receive an email advising you that an office action has been assigned to your application. An office action is the USPTO’s way of informing applicants that there is a problem (or problems) with the application.…
If you run a business, then this probably isn’t the first time that you’ve heard about trademarks. Maybe you already have registered marks, or have run into some issues in trying to register one. Although getting your trademark registered is, theoretically, a straightforward process, there are many reasons why it is essential to have a…
Registering your trademark isn’t enough to maintain the benefits of IP protections. If you don’t want to lose control of your trademark, you must consistently police it and search for possible infringement. Every business should have a written policy and protocol for finding and responding to trademark infringement. Let’s take a look at a few…
As the world has grown smaller due to the internet and fast international travel, counterfeiting has become a widespread issue. What was once mostly a major concern for clothing retailers and designers, counterfeiting has become a major issue for almost every industry that creates any type of product. More than 100 million counterfeit products are…
When I reentered the legal profession after a startup adventure, I was hesitant to secure and sign an office lease. I was immediately attracted to the “workplace as a service” or “coworking” model where business owners pay one set fee month to month for a private office, shared common area, internet, electricity, maintenance, coffee service…
The Importance of Documenting and Securing Intellectual Property When I interview a new client, one of my first questions is “what do you ultimately want to do with the business?” Very few people want to keep their business forever (for example, forgo retirement), and selling the business, hopefully for the maximum amount of profit, is…
Starbucks spent $387 Million last year alone to create an entire user experience through branding and brand protection. Take away that branding, and the remainder would be nothing but (some would say mediocre) cup of coffee in a paper cup. Possibly to a lesser extent, every business focuses on creating a brand because it essentially…
Copyright Infringement Copyright law protects original expressions. Original expressions include: writings, art, songs, music, dance, software, blue prints etc. Protection is automatic (but enhanced with a copyright filing) and it is protected for the life of the crated plus 70 years. Copyright infringement (colloquially referred to as “copyright theft”) is when someone uses copyrighted materials…