Category: Copyright Law

The moment you begin using your trademark in U.S. commerce (for example, with the sale or exchange of your goods and/or services), you establish what is called “common law” trademark protection. While you have certain rights in your trademark upon use, there are various limitations to common law rights and

Sriracha, a fiery red sauce that has captured the taste buds of spicy food enthusiasts around the world, offers not just a kick of heat but also a fascinating study in the realm of trademark and trade dress law. Originating from the coastal city of Si Racha, Thailand, this sauce

What is a trademark? A trademark is a source-identifier. A trademark can be any word, phrase, symbol, design, or combination of the foregoing that identifies the source of certain goods or services. Not all words are capable of functioning as trademarks. For example, generic terms can never function as trademarks.

If you plan to conduct business abroad or have an online business that reaches customers abroad, you should consider seeking international intellectual property protection. Intellectual property protection is often limited to the country where you conduct business and/or where you file for protection with the respective foreign intellectual property office.

Given their constant presence in our daily lives, the symbols ® and TM are very familiar to most of us. But what do they actually mean? And as a business owner, how do you know when to use them?
Both symbols refer to U.S. federal protection granted to the

Businesses, beware! Copyright infringement can happen anywhere, even on the biggest sports stage: the 2022 Beijing Olympics. Two U.S. Olympic figure skaters, Alexa Knierim and Brandon Frazier, were sued last week for copyright infringement by the musical artist, Heavy Young Heathens, for using their song without permission. The lawsuit also

The rapid spread of interest in non-fungible tokens (“NFTs”) has created a billion-dollar industry as buyers bid to own the latest digital artwork and sellers cash in on the craze. However, for many buyers and sellers the intellectual property laws implicated by NFTs go unnoticed which could have costly repercussions.

The murmuring conversation surrounding tattoos as copyrightable art is growing increasingly loud. Tattoos, once stereotyped as a heart surrounding “mom” on a nostalgic sailor’s shoulder, are now coveted artworks which can shape an individual’s identity and how one is seen by the world. Would Mike Tyson’s persona be the same