Who has two ears, two gloves, and lives in the happiest place on earth? Mickey Mouse is one of the most recognizable figures on the planet, and his likeness is owned by Disney. He is a valuable creative and commercial symbol indeed. Since the passage of the Copyright...
Copyright ownership transfers is not something that most people immediately think about where copyright is concerned. They want to know how they get copyright on something they have created. What kinds of protections they have. How to fight back if someone violates...
What does it mean to infringe upon a business's trademarks? Better Call Saul is an AMC series about how a down-on-his-luck lawyer goes from “ethically challenged” to downright, well, breaking bad, like Walter White in its titular sister series. In its six-year run,...
Fact pattern: Our top candidate is on H-1B status and his prior job was terminated. He is on his 60-day grace period and anxious to start working for us. How does the H-1B 60-day grace period work? What do we need to know to hire this candidate? Here are some...
What happens when rival food ordering application software uses similar names? In the case of Rapid, Inc. and Hungry Marketplace, Inc., the former sues the latter over using a mark they argued would cause a “likelihood of confusion” with their existing mark. With...
When an individual artist achieves a certain level of material success and fame, the Piece of the Pie Effect can occur: Smaller artists try to obtain credit and compensation for their part in the success. This is often achieved through intellectual property means. ...
In the most recent chapter of a suit brought by Vans against MSCHF – which labels itself as more of an “art collective” than a “company” – and collaborator Tyga, rapper and shoe designer, MSCHF is claiming that their very-similar-to-Vans shoes are protected by the...
In Berkeley, CA, Third Culture Bakery recently released its trademark on the baked good “mochi muffin.” The bakery’s legal representation had sent cease-and-desist letters to several other bakeries in the area that served mochi muffins. Public backlash via social...