How To Get A US Patent

A U.S. patent is necessary to protect your rights if you have invented a unique product or come up with a new idea. A patent grants property rights to an inventor, and is issued by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. The purpose of filing a patent is to stop others from reproducing and selling [...]

Sex Offender Records And Background Checks

Do you find it a hassle to go all the way to the town hall to get public records that you need quickly and without trouble? I bet you do and you really wish there was an alternative. What if I told you that I could save you that annoying and tedious trip down to [...]

Introduction To Copyright

In the United States, copyright law protects creators from having their works stolen or used without their permission. In the event that a work registered with the U.S. Copyright Office is stolen or infringed upon, the creator can pursue legal action. To ensure that your work is fully protected, you must have at least a [...]

Trademark Dilution: Part II

* This article is Part II of a two part series. Prior Use by Plaintiff Timing is an important factor in the anti-dilution context. This is so because it would be unfair to hold someone liable for the use of a non-infringing, non-diluting mark while another mark gains fame in the marketplace. Hence, a plaintiff [...]

Trademark Dilution: Part I

* This article is for non-lawyers, or attorneys practicing in areas of law other than trademark law, seeking to familiarize themselves with the basics of trademark dilution. This article is Part I of a two part series. Introduction Trademark law has evolved to give what is, in essence, a quasi-property right in a “word, name, [...]

Protecting Your Trade Secrets

Trade secrets means information, including a formula, pattern, compilation, program, device, method, technique, or process, that: (1) derives independent economic value, actual or potential, from not being generally known to the public or to other persons who can obtain economic value from its disclosure or use; and (2) Is the subject of efforts that are [...]

Using A Mark You Cannot Trademark - Be Careful

When coming up with a logo or mark, there are plenty of options. Sometimes, people make a choice that cannot be trademarked and this leads to problems. When you start a business, you probably have visions of huge success. At the same time, it can be difficult to plan for it when you are sitting [...]

Can You Trademark Your Business Name?

A trademark is a distinctive image, word or other thing that associates with a product or service. So, can you trademark your business name? Most people think trademarks are logo oriented. In some ways, this is true. The Nike Swoosh is clearly a logo trademark that stands out in peoples minds. When you see it, [...]

International Trademarks and the Madrid Protocol

Protecting your logo and so on with a trademark is a smart move. Ah, but what about protecting it in the United States AND internationally? Filling for a trademark is a smart move for practically any business. Although the process can be lengthy, the final approval gives you the ability to stop competitors from using [...]

The Role of Trademarks

Once you start conducting business, you are going to start running into the topic of intellectual property and trademarks. Understanding the role of a trademark will help you grasp why they are important. A trademark is a unique form of intellectual property. Most intellectual property is created to protect the person or business creating it. [...]