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 [...]
If you say “COPPA” to somebody who works in the business of providing online content to kids, they will instantly know exactly what you are talking about, and it might cause them to have a panic attack. Due to regulations promulgated by the FTC this past December, many more business owners will need to become familiar [...]
An ounce of prevention and all that… One of the battles employment attorneys constantly struggle with is raising awareness about the consequences of misclassifying workers that are technically employees as independent contractors. While these attorneys are concerned about possible penalties from the government or lawsuits from employees, IP attorneys are concerned with a possibly 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/