You have evaluated someone’s use of your trademark or copyright-protected work and believe it constitutes infringement. It is now time to consult with your intellectual property lawyer. Preparing ahead of time will make your initial contact with legal counsel more...
Happy New Year! As we start off 2019, here are a few tips for business owners that can help prevent bigger problems down the road. Read and make sure you understand all contracts you sign. I am always amazed at the number of business owners who come to me for...
It is easy to think of yourself as a small, local business, especially if you never leave the house to run it. However, the reality is the second you create a website you are operating in the global marketplace. This also means you are subject to many of the same laws...
As a business owner, you should ensure that all agreements are in writing. This is important not just for issues relating to intellectual property but for all aspects of your business. Here are a few reasons why. It eliminates incorrect assumptions. Imagine you start...
On January 30, 2018, Crystal Broughan gave a presentation titled “Intellectual Property 101” to a class of non-profit executives at Jim Moran Institute for Global Entrepreneurial Studies in Jacksonville. The Jim Moran Institute at the FSU College of Business aims to...
A homeowner’s association has a pool movie night. A dentist plays movies in their waiting room. A church shows a film in their community room. In each of these situations, material protected by copyright law is shown in a public setting. If the organization did not...
Consider registering your trademark in black and white. This protects trademark use in all colors, rather than only limiting protection to the colors provided in a color image. If color is vital to your brand, consider two applications: one in black and white...
All original works of authorship are protected by copyright as soon as they are created and placed in a fixed format. This is true even if there is no © symbol used. Be safe. Always obtain permission before: Reproducing the work Distributing copies of the work...