Does it ever pay to use intellectual property loopholes to save a few bucks? If you wish to remain disentangled from legal action, the answer is likely “No.” This is especially true in a complex area of copyright licensing like live televised events, since there may...
Intellectual Property
How Not to Lose Your Trademark to Non-Use Abandonment
Do you know what matters more than the registration of your business’s trademark? Its usage. One major way that a business can lose a viable trademark is non-use for a period of three or more years -- it's called trademark non-use abandonment. The USPTO tries to keep...
IP Education: IP Assets & Estate Planning
For many artists, part of the intention for a piece of art is to live beyond its creator. Similarly, inventors and business owners are likely hoping to leave behind some kind of legacy. Yet, surprisingly, many neglect to make a posthumous plan for their works –...
How Constructive Notice of a Patent is Established
This week, we are taking a diversion from copyrights and trademarks to the world of patents. We will talk about one of the simplest and most practical measures you can take once a patent is issued for a product of your business: constructive notice. The Importance...
6ix9ine Loses Trademark for His Name, Learns Importance of Responding to Lawsuits
Back in July 2022, rapper Warren Hamilton filed a Notice of Opposition before the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board (TTAB) against Daniel Hernandez, who goes by the stage name 6ix9ine. In the Opposition, Hamilton said that he had been using a similar stage name – SIX9...
When “Unofficial” Does Not Excuse Copyright Infringement – Netflix Sues Over Unofficial Bridgerton Musical
If you inject the word “unofficial” into the title of a work, does that save you from copyright infringement troubles? Abigail Barlow and Emily Bear, the creators of the wildly successful Unofficial Bridgerton Musical, have been learning about this the hard way in...
Essential IP Knowledge: Trademark Classes
Have you ever wondered how businesses with similar names can legally coexist? Next time you see brands with similar marks, take note of their industry, products, and services. It is very likely that both businesses have registered trademarks – but they are registered...
AI – Artist or Paintbrush?
Taking first place in digital fine arts at the 2022 Colorado State Fair was a piece named "Théâtre D'opéra Spatial." The artist, Jason Allen, garnered a lot of attention when, after winning, he revealed how the piece came to be: He used an artificial intelligence (or...