Things You Should Think About When Starting a Business

Starting your own business is exciting and can provide you with many rewarding benefits. That said, it is a very challenging undertaking that you should not take lightly. Before you begin you will want to decide if entrepreneurship is for you and make sure you establish a strong foundation to give your company a good […]

Supreme Court Says Naturally Occurring DNA May Not be Patented

The Supreme Court recently ruled that no segment of the human DNA may be patented because they occur naturally in nature. The ruling involves Myriad Genetics of Utah which has found a way to isolate two genes thought to increase risk of breast and ovarian cancer. Those against the Myriad patents claim that to grant […]

Battle Between Breweries Finds Resolution

Two breweries were sparking debate on social media outlets in May over a trademark dispute. The Burlington, Vermont based Magic Hat filed a lawsuit against Lexington, Kentucky based West Sixth Brewing Company, alleging similarities between the companies logo designs. West Sixth counter-attacked with a blog-post requesting a consumer boycott of Magic Hat’s products. The conflict […]

The Importance of Hiring an Expert When Filing for Trademark Protection

Often small businesses get started without much capital. This may lead to budget concerns and perhaps filing trademarks and handling other intellectual property issues independently. It’s only when these attempts go awry that business owners realize it is a better investment to consult with an expert. I received a call from a company recently that […]

The Importance of Intellectual Property Protection: The Small Brewery Example

Small business owners should be particularly knowledgeable about trademark and copyright issues. They need to protect themselves and their brand, while also being aware of infringing on other business brands. Let’s look at the small brewery as an example. With so many small breweries entering business, there are many potential legal issues that could arise. […]

Apple Sued for Copying Google Technology

Google took Apple, Inc to the Court of International Trade claiming infringement of several features that showed up in Apple’s iPhone technology. The supposed infringements were directed towards the method of preventing a user’s head from accidentally activating the touch screen while talking on the phone. The court did not find Apple guilty of infringement. […]

If You Sell Your Company Do You Still Have Rights to the Company’s Trademark?

A gentleman owned a phone-book business under the name AMTEL. He later sold the business and the business was sold again to Yellowbook. The original gentleman started another phone-book company and again used the name AMTEL. He was sued by Yellowbook for trademark infringement. The seller believed that he as an individual jointly owned the […]

When is Your Copyright Being Violated?

Copyright infringement occurs when another person besides the copyright holder duplicates or copies a work without the owner’s permission. The actual idea behind the work is not protected by copyright, but how the idea is expressed is. For example, there have been many films about space travel, but there is only one Darth Vader! Infringement […]

Protecting Your Creativity

You’ve just created a beautiful work of art; a song, a play, a painting, a novel. What can you do? Protect it with copyright You’ve just created a new machine- that makes the world a better place. What can you do? Protect it with a patent You’ve just created a logo for your company- It […]