Intellectual property rights all come with their very own symbols. They are signs to others about what type of rights are being claimed. I am sure you have seen them, but not everyone is sure which symbol belongs to which right. So let’s go back to grade school, do a matching game. Didn’t know there … Read more
When signing a commercial lease, it is very important to know what is included as part of the rent payment and what additional payments may be due. Often tenants go into a lease negotiation with a belief that as long as they are paying their base rent, everything is covered. However, that may not be … Read more
When setting up a company, whether it is an LLC, corporation, non-stock corporation, or any of the other options, we always need to include the identity of the company’s registered agent in the Articles of Incorporation and Annual Report and update that information if it ever changes. Each company (again no matter what kind or … Read more
Photo: © 2008 flikr, flikr2639, licensed by Creative Commons You are looking for a nice photograph to take your website from “meh” to “yeah!” After tooling around, you find the perfect one on someone else’s website. It has everything you could hope for in a photo. It is pretty, professional, and just the right amount … Read more
I often get asked, “Now that I am an LLC or corporation, I am completely, 100% protected from personal liability, right?” Well, um, how do I put this delicately? Uh, no. No, you are not. “Wait, what!?” It is because the company isn’t an impenetrable shield. It is more like a really high wall that … Read more
Your ideas may know no boundaries, but the protection of them does. Intellectual property laws only protect the subject within the boundaries of the entity that created the protection. There are three types of entities that provide intellectual protection: States (or provinces), nations and regional intellectual property organizations. Nations each have their own intellectual property … Read more
I love trademark law. I admit it. I have used the hashtag #trademarknerd more than once. One reason that I love it is that it is part of everyday life. If you shop, you use and understand trademark law. And here you thought you were just buying shampoo. Trademarks are completely based on customer perceptions. … Read more