I’m sure you’ve worked very hard to build your business, and you’ve probably spent a lot of time, energy, and money into developing processes, policies, and strategies that enable you to create and sell your products or services. But what happens when a key employee who knows the ins and outs of those processes, policies,…
All Trademark Searches are Not Created Equal
You’ve invested time and money into developing a new business name, brand, logo, or package design and you want to protect it by registering for a federal trademark. That’s great! You’re taking the right step to ensure only you can exploit your intellectual property in the marketplace and earn money from it. But wait. There’s…
Business Name and Trademark Confusion Can Cost Your Business Big Bucks
One of the biggest mistakes that a business can make is failing to secure the trademark for its business name. Many businesses register their business names in their states so they can start operating, and they think that’s all they have to do. Fast forward a few years and a business that makes this mistake…
Trademarks, Copyrights and Common Law: Possession is Only Nine-Tenths of the Law
There is a maxim that tells us, “Possession is 9/10s of the law.” However, that doesn’t mean you can ignore the remaining 1/10. In fact, doing so when it comes to your trademarks and copyrights could cause irreparable harm to your business and your life! For this concept to make sense, you need to understand…
5 Trademark Renewal and Reminder Steps You Don’t Want to Skip
One of the biggest problems that trademark owners encounter is unintentionally abandoning their registered marks. This happens when the owner fails to renew the necessary maintenance documents when they’re required. Losing your trademark could irreparably damage your business, so you don’t want to forget to file these maintenance documents. To help you meet the deadlines,…
The Dangerous Commoditization of Legal Services
**Originally published Dec 22, 2015; Updated June 8, 2018** In October of 2014, LegalZoom and Sam’s Club entered into a partnership. In a press release, it was revealed that Sam’s Club customers would soon get discounts on a variety of LegalZoom products. Specifically, Sam’s Club discount shoppers can get, “a $299 Suite of Estate Planning…