Photographers and Owners of Copyright Registrations, Beware of State Sovereign Immunity Issues!
Crystal Broughan, Intellectual Property Attorney Jan 23, 2020 in Copyrights
Photographers frequently encounter businesses and individuals who want to use their work without giving credit or paying for the right to use the photos. A pending copyright infringement case pending before the U.S. Supreme Court may make it easier for states to get away with this. Allen v. Cooper Allen v. Cooper, 139 S.Ct. 2664 (petition for certiorari granted June 3 2019) addresses the case of videographer and producer/director Rick Allen, who filmed the salvaging […]
Continue ReadingSo You Want To Register Your Trademark: What Do You Need Before You Begin
Crystal Broughan, Intellectual Property Attorney Jan 16, 2020 in Trademark
“I want to trademark my logo, what do I need to do?” This is a common question we hear from potential clients. My first inclination is to let the potential client know that the logo, if it is being used in commerce to identify the source of a company’s goods and services, is already considered a trademark. We need to register the trademark with either the State and/or the United States Patent and Trademark Office […]
Continue ReadingCourt Finds Goats on a Roof Are Not Offended by Trade Dress Registration Depicting…Well, Goats on a Roof
Crystal Broughan, Intellectual Property Attorney Jan 9, 2020 in Intellectual Property
When a New York attorney found a long-standing Sister Bay, WI, restaurant’s trade dress demeaning to goats, he filed a petition to cancel the trade dress registration with the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board (TTAB). Specifically, he stated that the trade dress registration denigrated the value of the “dignity and worth of animals.” The TTAB ruled that Mr. Bank did not have standing to bring the Petition. So Mr. Bank appealed to The Court of […]
Continue Reading5 New Year Tips for Business Owners
Crystal Broughan, Intellectual Property Attorney Jan 2, 2020 in Basics of Intellectual Property
Written by Guest Author, Marks Gray Associate Logan McEwen Happy New Year! Start off the new decade the right way for your business with the following tips to protect your growth and curb problems early. Audit Your Trademark Registrations and Business Accounts The lack of simple oversight often trips up businesses whenever personnel or IT providers change. Make sure problems aren’t lying in wait for you. From federal trademark registrations to state business filings, important notices […]
Continue ReadingCopyright protection assigns specific rights to its author as long as the work meets various criteria. The primary purpose of copyright protection is to encourage idea sharing and development. Copyright provides a framework for how relationships should work for everyone involved: copyright holders, content providers, and consumers of the content. With guidelines in place to benefit all parties, people have more incentives to share their creative works. When it comes to sharing work globally, the […]
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