Tips for Business Owners: Carefully Select and Protect Trademarks
Crystal Broughan, Intellectual Property Attorney Sep 20, 2018 in Intellectual Property
A trademark identifies a product’s source. It helps customers differentiate your business from competitors. If you develop a good reputation, customers know they can trust products bearing your trademark. Service marks are close cousins to trademarks and serve a similar purpose. They just identify the source of services, instead of goods. But not all logos or business names qualify for registration with the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) and the accompanying protections. Consider […]
Continue ReadingTips for Business Owners: 3 Must-Do’s When Creating Your Logo
Crystal Broughan, Intellectual Property Attorney Sep 13, 2018 in Intellectual Property
A recognizable logo allows you to advertise your business anywhere – on your storefront sign, website, business cards, employee ID cards, in-store signage, product packaging, print ads, social media accounts, and so many more places. It is a crucial part of branding, so businesses should take the time to ensure it is done right. But before you commit to any concept for your logo, work with an intellectual property lawyer to do a trademark search. […]
Continue ReadingPreventing Counterfeit Trademarks – Part 6: Prevent Creation
Crystal Broughan, Intellectual Property Attorney Aug 23, 2018 in Intellectual Property
Certain goods containing trademarks are easier than others to counterfeit. Some of that is due to the nature of the goods themselves, but it also has to do with the manufacturing, packaging, shipping, and handling processes. By putting into effect certain preventative measures, you can make it too difficult for counterfeiters to bother with your products. Additionally, it can make it easier for consumers and enforcement agencies to spot counterfeit products if they are made, […]
Continue ReadingPreventing Counterfeit Trademarks – Part 5: Fight Internet Sales
Crystal Broughan, Intellectual Property Attorney Aug 16, 2018 in Intellectual Property
The internet makes it easier than ever for counterfeiters to promote their wares around the world. They don’t have to operate a brick-and-mortar storefront or even appear anywhere physically. Instead, they can hide behind the anonymity that the net provides. Fortunately for trademark owners, the internet can also be a powerful tool in fighting counterfeit trademarks, and many of the remedies it provides can be used in conjunction with and even support civil litigation or […]
Continue ReadingIt Looks Like a Duck, It Quacks Like a Duck, But It… Might Not Be a Duck?
Crystal Broughan, Intellectual Property Attorney Jul 19, 2018 in Intellectual Property
Crystal Broughan is grateful that E. Paul Cuffe, our summer guest blogger and a summer law clerk at Marks Gray, P.A., co-authored this article. Many are familiar with the duck test. It’s a popular reasoning exercise where habitual characteristics are used to identify unknown subjects: if it looks like a duck, swims like a duck, and quacks like a duck, then it probably is a duck. Unfortunately, this test may not prove helpful when applying […]
Continue ReadingWHOIS Using Your Website Content in Bad Faith? It’s Now Harder to Find Out
Crystal Broughan, Intellectual Property Attorney Jul 12, 2018 in Intellectual Property
Crystal Broughan is grateful that E. Paul Cuffe, a summer law clerk at Marks Gray, P.A., co-authored this article. You may have heard of the European Union General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), and for good reason. The regulation, effective May 25, 2018, applies to European Union (EU) members as well as any company that markets goods or services to EU residents, regardless of location. On its face, the regulation’s purpose is understandable – many internet […]
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