Intellectual Property for Business Owners – 10 Things You Should Know
Your business has intellectual property made up of your collective ideas, innovation, and intelligence. Your intellectual property can include trade secrets, trademarks, copyrights, and patents. There is no arguing the fact that intellectual property has value. A trade secret like the recipe for Coca-Cola can give a company a competitive advantage that lasts for a […]
Trademark Scams – Don’t Pay for What You Don’t Need
In a previous blog post, I shared some tips to protect yourself from trademark scam letters, and unfortunately, the number of scammers continues to grow. That means you need to understand how these scams could affect you so you don’t spend unnecessary money or time thinking about them. The Trademark Scam Letter You filed a […]
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 […]
Trademark Scams are on the Rise – How to Protect Yourself
Owners of U.S. trademarks (applicants and registrants) routinely receive trademark-related solicitations by mail and/or email purporting to be official notices or advertisements from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) requesting payment of fees. These are trademark scams and you need to familiarize yourself with them so you can protect yourself from spending money unnecessarily! […]
Is Your Brand Name Strong Enough to Protect with a Trademark?
A trademark is one your most valuable business assets that you absolutely need to protect, but you can only get full legal protection it if it’s distinctive, not descriptive. Descriptive vs. Distinctive: An Inverse Relationship A trademark is distinctive if the meaning of the words used in the mark do not describe the products or […]
3 Biggest Differences Between the Principal Register and Supplemental Register for Trademarks
You have a business and you want to protect your brand with a trademark so no one else can use it. After all, if another company in your industry starts to use the same brand name as you, consumers could be confused. You don’t want them to think a competitor’s inferior products and services come […]
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, […]
5 Things Entrepreneurs Should Know about Intellectual Property
I’m excited to announce the launch of my first free online course — 5 Things Entrepreneurs Should Know about Intellectual Property. As an intellectual property attorney, this topic is near and dear to my heart, but more importantly, it’s essential information for business owners in the digital age. In this course, I show you the […]
Kris Jenner’s #ProudMama Trademark Equals #MissedOpportunity for a Small Business Owner
In case the Kardashian family isn’t in the news enough already, matriarch Kris Jenner made legal and business news this week over a trademark. Kris Jenner wants to trademark #ProudMama — a hashtag she uses to refer to herself on social media, particularly when posting photos to her Instagram profile. Being a Kardashian, Kris knows […]
Taylor Swift Trademarks Grow with Swiftmas
In her most recent effort to cash in on her brand, Taylor Swift wants to trademark the word ‘Swiftmas’ and several other phrases from her song lyrics. Taylor Swift has always been aggressive in protecting her intellectual property, but she’s taken it to a whole new level with her ambitious trademark campaign. Taylor is a […]