Intellectual Property

A company's intellectual property can be a significant reason why it is able to operate profitably. Many kinds of intangible resources are technically intellectual property. There are trade secrets, which include non-public information that gives a business a...

Intellectual property can be defined as a kind of umbrella term for intangible assets, meaning assets that you may not be able to hold, yet have some intrinsic value.  Most companies not only hold intellectual property under their name and value them greatly but may...

Imagine this, you’re walking down the street when you pass a Marilyn Monroe print posing in modern designer shoes. A few blocks down Elvis Presley is singing and dancing in a cleaning advertisement. Just around the corner, a Dr. Seuss cutout sits in the window of a...

Intellectual property (IP) is one of the most important assets a business can have. It includes trademarks, copyrights, and patents. When you give up the right to your IP, you are giving up a valuable asset.  In some cases, giving up the right to do business with...

As a business owner, you need to be aware of copyright law and how it affects your company. Copyright infringement can happen unintentionally - but that can still lead to costly lawsuits.  What steps should you take to avoid accidentally using someone else's...

The fair use doctrine is key in a number of intellectual property (IP) disputes – typically those involving some type of creative work like music, designs, art and literature. Basically, it says that a person, business or organization may use part of a work that has...

If someone has violated your intellectual property (IP) rights, a good first step is often to send them a cease and desist letter. What exactly does – and doesn’t -- this kind of notice do? First, let’s look at what a cease and desist letter is. It’s basically a...

These days, brand image is everything, so companies work hard to protect their trademarks from any kind of infringement, including dilution. The Lanham Act of 1996 describes dilution as the “gradual whittling away or dispersion of the identity and hold upon the public...

Trying to run a competitive business isn't easy. Not only do you need to have a good concept, but you also need professional staff and resources. It could take you years to develop all the information necessary to run a competitive business, and you obviously don't...

The German Patent and Trade Mark Office (DPMA) has a conference on Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Intellectual Property (IP) rights recently.  The theme of the conference was to determine to what extent the creations and inventions of AI are patentable. There are a...