Have you ever wished for a magical being to come help you with, well, everything? We did, and our wish came true! We are absolutely thrilled to introduce you Sherri Schaaf. Sherri is our Paralegal and Client Support Coordinator. She is dedicated, capable, hard-working, and organized to the hilt. There is very little that Sherri … Read more
Whenever I am talking to someone about their trademark, the topic of using a TM or ® comes up. First, which should one use? Second, when should they use it? The first question is easy. If you have a federally registered trademark on the mark being used, then the ® is for you. Everyone else gets to use … Read more
If you do business outside of the state in which you are organized (e.g., you are a Wisconsin LLC, but do business in Illinios), you have to tell that other state that you are doing business there. That is, you register as a foreign company. Yup, it is as you always suspected, those Illinois people … Read more
In May of this year, Judge Duane Jorgenson in Lafayette Court found Wisconsin’s ban on the sale of homemade cookies, breads and other baked goods is unconstitutional because it primarily serves business interests. Since then, the state legislature has tried to pass bills allowing certain home-baked goods (usually limited to a certain dollar amount per year) without … Read more
There is a really long explanation that goes around Certification Marks, Geographical Indications, and the respect Americans must give to their European counterparts. Moreover, there is a long and tortured history of international law, broken treaties, and implemented international protocols dedicated to recognizing trademarks, appelation d’origine controlle (AOC), and other designations across borders. I’m not … Read more
If you are involved in the Madison entrepreneurship scene, you know Chris Meyer of Sector67 and Heather Wentler of the Doyenne Group. They are tireless in their work to create an entrepreneurship climate here. Sector67 is an amazing makerspace that welcomes all types of do-ers. In an effort to have a bigger, permanent home for … Read more
One of my favorite legal concepts is “genericide” or “genericize.” That is when the public takes a perfectly good trademark and makes it value-less to the trademark owner by turning it into an everyday word. I like the drama of “genericide” because it truly is a brand-killer. Often, it is when the marketing has been … Read more
Here with another post to demystify contracts, today we discuss counterparts. In a common provision, we see something like: Counterparts. This Agreement may be executed in counterparts, all of which taken together shall constitute the same agreement. In first grade, we learned to figure out new words using context. Great. Context here is that uh, … Read more
nnnon After a summer of crutching around, I am so glad to be rid of the crick-creak of that particular fashion accessory. Through it all, I have learned how to carry everything in a cross-body shoulder bag, to ask for help, and maybe, just a little bit of patience. But most of all, I have learned … Read more
