What You Can and Cannot Register as a Trademark
Crystal Broughan, Intellectual Property Attorney Oct 17, 2019 in Intellectual Property
Your business, your ideas, and your art are important to you. You have spent years dreaming up these ideas. And sharing them with the world increases the risk that someone could copy what you have created. One powerful way to protect your work is filing for trademark registration. But you cannot register a trademark for just anything. Learn the rules of what is and is not possible to register as a trademark before you file […]
Continue ReadingA Tale of Tasty Tacos Shows the Importance of a Strong Trademark
Crystal Broughan, Intellectual Property Attorney Oct 10, 2019 in Intellectual Property
Tasty tacos. It is a meal people enjoy eating… and now it’s making trademark history. This story is an excellent lesson in why a business should choose a strong trademark and not a merely descriptive trademark. In 1961, Richard and Antonia Mosqueda opened Tasty Tacos, Inc., a Mexican restaurant that became known for high-quality Mexican food in Des Moines, Iowa. They registered the trademark, TASTY TACOS, with the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) […]
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Attorney Crystal Broughan Appointed to the INTA’s Anti-counterfeiting Committee
Marks Gray P.A. Oct 4, 2019 in Announcement
Marks Gray attorney Crystal Broughan was appointed to the International Trademark Association’s Anti-counterfeiting Committee for a two-year term January 1, 2020 – December 31, 2021. The Antercounterfeiting Committee develops and advocates INTA’s policy regarding anti-counterfeiting and enforcement issues. The committee monitors developments in treaties, legislation, regulations and other enforcement mechanisms in various jurisdictions, conduct analysis and proposes policy recommendations to the INTA Board. The committee members draft and submit reports, interact with anti-counterfeiting organizations worldwide […]
Continue ReadingScore Workshop on Trademarks, Copyrights and Your Intellectual Property Assets
Crystal Broughan, Intellectual Property Attorney Sep 26, 2019 in Events
On Tuesday night, I had the pleasure of presenting a SCORE workshop for small business owners and potential business owners on intellectual property assets. SCORE is a national service organization that supports small businesses throughout the nation. They consist of a network of over 11,000 volunteers operating in more than 340 chapters throughout the United States. SCORE volunteers work with and are supported by the US Small Business Administration. The workshop was attended by over […]
Continue ReadingSCORE Workshop Presented by Broughan on Tuesday
Crystal Broughan, Intellectual Property Attorney Sep 20, 2019 in Intellectual Property
Marks Gray intellectual property attorney Crystal Broughan is presenting a free SCORE workshop entitled “Trademarks, Copyrights and Your Intellectual Property Assets” on Tuesday, September 24, 2019 from 6 to 8 pm. In the presentation, Broughan will discuss the various types of IP and how to protect those assets. Attendees will learn about: Trademark rights, how to do a trademark search, and how to apply for a registration. Copyright registrations, copyright infringement, fair use, and how […]
Continue ReadingWhy a Work for Hire Agreement Should Be Signed in Advance
Crystal Broughan, Intellectual Property Attorney Sep 19, 2019 in Basics of Intellectual Property
In the late 1970s, a US federal statute formalized the concept that a work is innately copyright protected at the time of creation. As written, “A work is created when it is ‘fixed’ in a copy or phonorecord for the first time.” While every creator naturally has copyright to any original form of expression, the United States Copyright Act of 1976 also outlines exceptions to those protections. One of those exceptions is the “work for […]
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