At some time or another, anyone who produces a product or commercializes a copyrightable work will inevitably run into the situation where you see your products being resold by someone that is not you or one of your direct distributors. Oftentimes, this becomes an issue for a business because of the price at which the [...]
What do Yahoo, telecommuting and intellectual property legal services have in common? At first glance, the popular answer may be “Absolutely nothing.” But those three seemingly unrelated topics might actually have a profound effect on your business and the quality of your intellectual property legal representation. Yahoo made some waves last month by issuing an [...]
Over the years, our firm has represented numerous apparel companies with regard to intellectual property matters, and we have observed many of the difficulties these companies face in protecting the value of their designs. The interesting aspect facing apparel companies is that often times the “low brow” fashion of graphic T-shirts and sneakers are more [...]
There is a well-known phrase known to businesses relying on the internet to help drive marketing and sales: “Content is king.” That phrase has expanded, in the wake of businesses turning to Facebook and YouTube and in the development and use of better consumer digital cameras and video. That new and improved phrase is this: [...]
This is about pain — the avoidable kind. Lawyers can get a bad rap for shark-ism and sometimes, that’s fair. In this case, however, the pain is shared across the board, by both the lawyers and the clients. No one, including a hard-working and ethical attorney, likes seeing people have to spend blood, time and [...]
The newest legal challenge on the horizon for businesses may be the rise of what is known as “The Copyright Troll.” Copyright Trolls are generally companies formed by attorneys whose sole purpose is to secure the enforcement rights from content providers (usually movies) and then find infringers (using a special software) — wherein those same [...]
Some of you may have noticed that our firm has not published a new column in a few weeks now. The reason for this is that we were engaged in a Major Office Move. You know the kind: anguished over for months, thought about repeatedly at 3 a.m. and again at 6 a.m. and over [...]
Since I counsel a lot of online businesses, including online retailers, I am often asked about the sales tax implications of online sales. Generally speaking, the answer is pretty easy: If you are a Colorado business and sell goods to individuals residing in Colorado, then you have to collect Colorado sales tax and the appropriate [...]
When launching a new company or adding a new product or service, a name must be determined to brand the company, product or service. In the legal field, we refer to brand names and logos identifying a good as a trademark; and brand names and logos referring to services as service marks. However, the [...]
Do you or your business use independent software developers? If so here’s an important read about copyright law that affects you and your business. http://www.cobizmag.com/articles/i-paid-for-it-so-i-own-it-right/