How to Share Your Work with Others Using a Creative Commons License ** Attorney Advertising **
Much of the focus of intellectual property law is dedicated to helping business owners protect their work from being used by others. But, there are times when an artist or content creator may actually want to make their work available to the public for easy and widespread use that would otherwise infringe on their copyright. […]
Does Your Product Meet Certain Standards? You May Be Able to Use a Certification Mark **Attorney Advertising**
If the product or service that your company offers meets certain “certification” standards that you believe would be of interest to your customers, you may be able to use what’s known as a “Certification Mark” to showcase this distinction. A Certification Mark is not the same as a registered trademark. A trademark helps to point […]
Campaign Rallies and Music: Do Artists Have the Right to Demand Politicians Stop Using Their Songs? **Attorney Advertising **
During a campaign rally last month in West Virginia, Donald Trump’s team played a classic Aerosmith song, “Living on the Edge,” before he took to the stage. The lead singer of Aerosmith[1], Steven Tyler, got wind of the usage and demanded that Trump and his campaign stop playing any of the band’s music at their […]
Patent Trolls: Who Are They and What Do They Want? **Attorney Advertising **
There are companies that exist for the sole purpose of going after others for patent infringement (whether real or alleged) using hardball tactics. Such companies may not even be the inventor behind the patent; rather, they may simply buy patents from others and enforce them aggressively. In the world of Intellectual Property, such companies are […]
Do I Need Permission or a License to Perform a Cover of a Song? **Attorney Advertising**
Whether you’re a wedding singer, you sing in a local band, or perform music with your school or university, chances are you’ve performed a “cover” of a song that was created by another artist or producer. But, when does merely performing someone else’s song or musical material become a violation of intellectual property rights? And, […]
Judge Says Embedding a Tweet May Be Copyright Infringement **Attorney Advertising **
Social media sites such as Twitter and Facebook encourage social sharing. If there’s an update or post that you resonate with, you’re free to share that message with your friends, fans, or followers. Now though, a federal court in New York may soon put the brakes on the practice of sharing Twitter updates outside of […]
Can I Register a Trademark That’s Been “Abandoned?” **Attorney Advertising**
Anyone seeking to register a trademark is first encouraged to conduct a search with the United States Patent and Trademark Office to ensure that the mark is not already in use by another business or brand. The hope is that the trademark is unique enough that the owner can move forward with the registration process […]
Is the Content on my Website Automatically Copyright Protected? **Attorney Advertising**
You’ve worked hard to build your website and create content that’s unique and appealing to your readers. It’s understandable that the last thing you’d want is for someone to be able to steal your content and use it on a website that is not affiliated with your business or brand. But do you need to […]
Trademark Denied: Appeals of Trademark Final Refusals **Attorney Advertising**
The hardest part of registering a trademark is usually coming up with a unique trademark in the first place. A trademark is a word or symbol that should distinguish your company, product, or service from all others. Once you have chosen a name to represent your brand, the next step is to register your trademark […]
Help! An Employee Set Up and “Owns” My Social Media Accounts! **Attorney Advertising**
In today’s digital landscape, social media accounts should undoubtedly be considered an asset of a person’s business. By using social media accounts, companies are able to cheaply, if not freely, expose their products and services to new customers, acquire fans and followers, and create an online place where engagement and communication can happen in real […]
