This year, New Year’s Day brought more than resolutions, football games and hangovers: on January first, thousands of works previously protected by copyright entered the public domain. The 1998 Sonny Bono Copyright Term Extension Act added an additional 20 years to existing copyrights, so works first published in 1926 are entering the public domain. Once a work becomes part of [...]
It is believed that either Benjamin Franklin or Mark Twain said “Nothing is certain except for death and taxes.” Not having appropriate estate planning documents to address both of these certainties is a mistake. The fact is that we don't know when we're going to die. If you die unexpectedly and your estate planning documents are out-of-date, confusing, or nonexistent, [...]
The coronavirus-relief and spending bill signed into law on December 27, 2020, included numerous revisions to the intellectual property laws. Many of these revisions recently took effect. Trademark Modernization Act The Trademark Modernization Act made a number of revisions to the processes of the Patent and Trademark Office (PTO) and the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board (TTAB). Regulations implementing this [...]
Earlier this week, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) updated its COVID-19 guidelines to include a discussion of when COVID-19 is a disability under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) in the context of employment. The guidelines note that under the ADA, a person can be an individual with a “disability” for purposes of the ADA in one of three [...]
COVID-19 Business Resources Both Oregon and Washington have websites describing COVID-19 resources for businesses. Company-Sponsored Holiday Parties Although we're still in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, many businesses are planning holiday parties. While company-sponsored parties are a fun way to build employee morale during the holiday season, if you’re not careful, they can also result in significant liability. This [...]
Fines for Failure to Post Appropriate Notices Businesses with employees are required to have certain postings by state and federal laws. Each year, the US Department of Labor (“DOL”) increases its posting penalties to account for inflation. The DOL will raise rates again in January, but the current maximum fines per violation are: Fair Labor Standards Act: between $1,084 and [...]
This year we are truly thankful for our incredible staff who have worked diligently to serve our clients’ needs in this extraordinarily difficult year. We are also grateful for the vaccines that are saving lives throughout the world and for the fact that many of the communities in Oregon and California that experienced loss of life and destruction of property [...]
FTC Increasing Enforcement Related to Deceptive Reviews and Endorsements The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) recently announced its intention to crack down on fake online reviews and other deceptive endorsements. In fact, it sent Notices of Penalty Offenses to more than 700 companies. A recipient that engages in the conduct described in the notice may be subject to civil penalties of [...]
Litigation is always a stressful, time-consuming, slow, and expensive way to resolve a dispute, but the COVID-19 pandemic has delayed this already lengthy process. Courts and lawyers are overloaded with work related to the deferred hearings, pleadings, discovery, and trials. It will probably be years before the backlog is cleared. This means that if you have a dispute with someone—whether [...]
