The “Spelling Hack” Myth & The Trademark Traffic Jam: A Guide to Likelihood of Confusion
Attorney Advertising You have the perfect name for your new brand. Before launching, you do the smart thing: you go to the USPTO database and type it into the search bar. Here is an instruction video and use the below link to search for registered trademarks: USPTO’s TESS: https://www.uspto.gov/trademarks/search. Also, we suggest you conduct Google, […]
The Handshake Deal That Cost Everything: Why Verbal Agreements Don’t Protect Your IP **Attorney Advertising**
It starts with excitement. You have a great idea, you find the right person to help bring it to life, and everything feels aligned. You talk through the vision, agree on the basics, and get to work. Who needs paperwork when you are both on the same page? A lot of people find out the […]
You Built a Brand on a Platform You Don’t Own — Now What? **Attorney Advertising**
If your business lives primarily on Instagram, TikTok, or YouTube, you have built something, but what is it? A following, a reputation, a recognizable voice and aesthetic. That is genuinely valuable. But there is a hard truth worth sitting with: you do not own any of those platforms, and the rules can change at any […]
Trademarking in the Age of AI-Generated Branding: What Business Owners Need to Know **Attorney Advertising**
AI tools have made it faster and cheaper than ever to build a brand from scratch. Type a few prompts into the right platform and within minutes, you have a business name, a logo, and a color palette. It feels like a shortcut to legitimacy. But before you build your entire brand identity around AI-generated […]
AI Can’t Own Your Work — But You Can: What the Supreme Court’s Latest Move Means for Creators **Attorney Advertising**
If you’ve been following the conversation around artificial intelligence and intellectual property, here’s the latest development: the U.S. Supreme Court has officially closed the door on whether AI can be a copyright author, at least for now. On March 2, 2026, the Court declined to hear Thaler v. Perlmutter, ending Dr. Stephen Thaler’s multi-year effort […]
Trademark “Naked Licensing”: How Being a Good Partner Can Cost You Your Brand **Attorney Advertising**
In business, we’re constantly told that “flexibility is key.” If you have a franchisee, strategic partner, or subsidiary using your logo, you might think letting them “do their own thing” is a sign of a healthy, low-friction relationship. It shows trust. It shows you’re not a micromanager. It shows you’re easy to work with. From […]
Is Your Book Part of the Anthropic AI Copyright Settlement? What Authors and Publishers Need to Know **Attorney Advertising**
The intersection of artificial intelligence and copyright law just hit a major milestone. A class-action settlement has been reached with Anthropic PBC—the company behind Claude AI—regarding allegations that they used copyrighted books to train their AI models without permission. If you’re an author, publisher, or copyright holder, this settlement may directly impact your intellectual property […]
The “Canva” Trademark Trap: Why Your DIY Logo Might Be Un-Protectable **Attorney Advertising**
In the age of “design-it-yourself” platforms like Canva, Adobe Express, and Squarespace, creating a professional-looking logo has never been easier or cheaper. For many startups and small businesses, these tools are a godsend, as they are quick, affordable, and surprisingly polished. But there’s a significant legal pitfall hiding in those drag-and-drop libraries that can leave […]
IP Budgeting for Bootstrappers: Where to Spend Your First $5K, $10K, $25K **Attorney Advertising**
When you’re launching a business with limited capital, every spending decision is a critical business choice, and intellectual property protection is no exception. Founders intuitively know they need to safeguard their core technology and brand, but the complexity and cost of formal legal opinions often feel out of reach. The good news is that protecting […]
The Founder’s “Sanity Check” Guide: DIY IP Search
Goal: Identify fatal “blockers” (obvious infringement) before you write code or print logos. Time Required: ~30–60 Minutes. ⚠️ IMPORTANT DISCLAIMER: This guide is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. These tools help you spot “red flags,” but they cannot guarantee that your idea is safe. A “clean” search here does not […]
