Learning to Read the Harmonized Tariff Schedule

I’ve written about this before on LinkedIn – full disclosure, but over the past few weeks, I’ve gotten multiple questions about customs costs, and how they are assessed, from clients who are importing products from abroad and re-selling them in the United States.  Each client’s situation is unique, but a critical step one in all … Read more

That Which We Call A Rose

That which we call a rose By any other word would smell as sweet Juliet argued that it didn’t matter what Romeo’s name was for she would love him anyway.  And, by the way, if he wasn’t Romeo, they could be married.  But as we know, that’s not what happened.  Let’s just say, it went … Read more

Liability Waivers in Your Adventure Business

Adventures are everywhere and more accessible than ever! But, with more adventure comes more risk for the participant and more risk for the business (and its owners).  As you can imagine, the question\request I get most often from adventure business owners is related to liability waivers and protecting the business from legal risk in the … Read more

Don’t Cross the Streams

When talking with people starting businesses, one question that we get is a lot is “How do I limit my liability?”.  First, we talk about creating a business entity.  And don’t forget about insurance.  But, one thing we always talk about is “Don’t cross the streams. It would be bad.” By that, we mean keep … Read more

Rent Never Abates to Zero – and Other Tips for Tenants!

Last time I wrote about tips for Landlords embarking on their first adventure into residential renting – but today, I’m going to concentrate on a few tips for tenants.  In Wisconsin, there are plenty of “gotchas” or “trap doors” in the law for both parties – but when\if mistakes happen, the outcomes often disproportionately impact … Read more

It All Comes Around

We started on this fair use train to answer a question someone asked me:  When can you use music in videos and podcasts?  I think you can make some guesses as to the answer.  First, you can certainly use music if you get permission from the owner of the music.  Second, there are companies that … Read more

Sorry For Partying

Last week was a bit of a let down, wasn’t it?  Here’s all of these interesting facts, and then thbbt! No resolution.  This week is better.  This one also involves the manipulation of a photograph but with a lot more humor. This time, Sconnie Nation, a t-shirt company, used a photo taken by Michael Kienitz … Read more

When it goes Fairey, Fairey wrong

Fair use is a defense, but it isn’t always a slam dunk winning defense.  Shepard Fairey is a graphic artist and known for street art.  You may not recognize his name, but you likely recognize at least one piece of his work:  The Obama HOPE poster. The photo is instantly recognizable and arguably iconic.  It … Read more