IP Tips for Business Owners During a Downturn in the Economy
Crystal Broughan, Intellectual Property Attorney May 7, 2020 in Basics of Intellectual Property
Great ideas and new businesses are often born during downturns in the economy. Resourceful people are out of work, or their businesses have been shut down. And they start to think about the business they always wanted to start, the clever new product they considered developing, or even selling their business. With time on their hands and no money coming into the business or household, many start thinking of ways they can solve their problems. […]
Continue ReadingRecipes and the Trouble with Copyright Protection
Marks Gray Feb 13, 2020 in Business' Intellectual Property
Are you starting a new restaurant based on some family recipes? Or selling fresh baked goods based on a recipe you created? Are you thinking about how to protect that recipe so no one else will copy or steal it? Make sure you educate yourself on how best to protect your recipe. A recipe is considered “a mere listing of ingredients” and is not protected under copyright law. However, if the recipe is accompanied by […]
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 ReadingDrastic Changes to Canadian Trademark Law Take Effect in June 2019
Crystal Broughan, Intellectual Property Attorney Apr 18, 2019 in Business' Intellectual Property
Written by Guest Author, Marks Gray Associate Logan McEwen Trademarks in Canada are looking at a major overhaul effective June 17, 2019 as Canadian legislation adopting the Singapore Treaty, Nice Agreement, and Madrid Protocol are implemented. How the Canadian Intellectual Property Office (CIPO) examines and approves trademark applications will be remarkably different. A short highlight reel includes: Registrable marks will now include scents, holograms, color combinations, and animated images alongside traditional word marks, design marks, […]
Continue ReadingTips for Business Owners: Protect Your IP Assets by Using Employment Agreements
Crystal Broughan, Intellectual Property Attorney Feb 7, 2019 in Business' Intellectual Property
So, your trademark is registered with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, you’ve obtained copyright registration for your original materials through the US Copyright Office, and an employee agreement is now part of your new hire packet. You may believe your intellectual property safeguarding efforts are complete – but have you explicitly established ownership of the company’s intellectual property within those hiring documents? You should consider– if materials were created outside the ordinary course of […]
Continue ReadingTips for Business Owners: The Fewer Resources You Have, The More You Need to Plan
Crystal Broughan, Intellectual Property Attorney Nov 8, 2018 in Business' Intellectual Property
For many start-ups and existing small businesses, funding and resources are tight, so they necessarily take great care when deciding where to invest their money. However, one place that many businesses unfortunately overlook is planning for and protecting their intellectual property (IP). The value of IP in the US has been estimated as being around $10-$15 trillion. And when assessing the value of IP for your company, it may mean the difference between big-time success […]
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