Insights
What to do if you are presented a Restricted Social Security Card?
When it comes to reviewing Section 2 of Form I-9, I see many mistakes when Employers accept and put down the incorrect social security card as a List C document. Per USCIS guidelines, a Social Security that is UNRESTRICTED (see image below) is an acceptable List C...
Chanel Files Trademark Case against Business Selling Altered Chanel Buttons
Generally speaking, if you purchase an item you have the right to resell it. This is an actual intellectual property law called the first sale doctrine. Here is how it is defined: “The first sale doctrine, codified at 17 U.S.C. § 109, provides that an individual who...
Trade Secrets Exposed – and Why You Should Keep Them Under Wraps
Trade secrets are like the James Bond of the business world—mysterious, powerful, and they require the utmost protection. A recent scandal involving a former Samsung employee leaking confidential information to rival firms is an example of how both companies and...
Distinctive Trade Dress Granted to Guitar-Shaped Hotel
When we talk about trademarks, we often address concrete items that can be registered, like logos, symbols, words, or phrases. But what about the general “look and feel” or shape of a place or product? This protectable aspect of trademark law – known as “trade dress”...
Marks Gray Expands, Opens St. Johns Office
Marks Gray, one of Jacksonville’s oldest law firms, announces it has expanded with a full-service office in St. Johns County. The office is located near the World Golf Village at 319 W. Town Place, Suite 27. The Marks Gray St. Johns Office team will host an open house...
How Many Oranges Will This FL Produce Stand Have to Sell to Offset a $160K Fine?
How do real estate laws impact the communities inhabiting and using the land? Ideally, zoning, building codes, permitting, and statutes help make buildings and their use benefit the community – rather than simply existing only to be avoided or swatted away....
This Artist Taped a Banana to a Wall – He Did Not Think It Would End in Copyright Litigation
Sometimes, thankfully, intellectual property law proves to be downright comical. The case we examine this week taps the funny bone and reads like the setup of a joke: How many artists does it take to duct tape a banana to a wall? To be more specific, how many artists...
Why Iron Maiden Thinks Consumers May Be Confused By a Proposed Trademark
Recently, a new undergarment company specializing in clothing accessories like bras, corsets, lingerie, shapewear, and underwear filed a trademark application. But a seemingly unlikely adversary has risen up to fight back against that application: legendary heavy...