Starting a business is an exciting time of your life, and just like any other part of your life, you need to take the right steps or you’ll be far more likely to fail. Or worse, you could find yourself in a heap of legal trouble that could have been avoided if you’d taken the…
Demystifying Copyright Symbols
Be confused no more! I’m about to take the guesswork out of how to create and use a proper copyright notice. You see copyright symbols all the time but may not be sure what the symbol really means. The copyright symbol, the letter C in a circle, or ©, may be used for any “original…
How to Minimize Risk to Your Trade Secrets When Employees Leave
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…