Have you conducted an intellectual property (IP) audit in the last year? If not, now is the time to get started. IP includes copyrights, trademarks, trade dress, patents, trade secrets and the like. In fact, it's called intellectual property since it involves products of the mind. An IP audit involves a systematic review of all IP you own, control, or [...]
Earlier this month, the US Department of Labor (“DOL”) published a final rule simplifying the standards relating to the classification of workers as employees or independent contractors. Under the new DOL regulations, which are to take effect in March, “the ultimate inquiry is whether, as a matter of economic reality, the worker is dependent on a particular individual, business, or [...]
The coronavirus-relief and spending bill signed into law on December 27, 2020, includes numerous revisions to the intellectual property laws. Two of the most important relate to copyright and trademark laws. Copyright Small Claims Court The Copyright Alternative in Small-Claims Enforcement (CASE) Act creates a Copyright Claims Board within the U.S. Copyright Office. This board, which will be similar to [...]
This year, New Year’s Day brought more than resolutions, football games and hangovers: on January 1st – 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 1925 are entering the public domain. Once a work becomes part [...]
Now that people are beginning to receive COVID-19 vaccines, employers and employees are wondering whether it’s legal for employers to have mandatory vaccination policies. Do the Americans with Disabilities Act (“ADA”), Title VII of the Civil Rights Act (“Title VII”), or the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act (“GINA”) prohibit mandatory vaccinations? On December 16th, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) updated [...]
OR OSHA’s Temporary Standard We recently notified you about Oregon Occupational Health & Safety Administration’s new COVID-19 standards, which apply to all Oregon employers. Some of the requirements are already in effect, and some will soon become effective. The deadlines for these requirements are quickly approaching: Training: No later than December 21st, employers must provide workers with information and training about [...]
Although the estate and gift tax exemption for 2020 is $11.58 million per person (resulting in a married couple’s ability to pass $23.16 million tax-free), this is only temporary. The exemption will automatically revert to $5 million (adjusted for inflation) in 2026 if Congress doesn’t make any changes before then. The likelihood that no changes will be made by then [...]
Some of you may know you have common law rights in your protectable trademarks just by using those marks in interstate or foreign commerce, so you might wonder why you should pay for a trademark registration. Seizure of Knockoff Goods US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents seized 27,599 shipments of infringing goods [...]
Social media use is so common that most of us don’t give it a second thought, but there are certain legal restrictions that apply. For example, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has guidelines for social media influencers clarifying when and how influencers must disclose sponsorships to their followers. A social media influencer is someone with a dedicated group of followers who is [...]
New DOL Guidance on the FLSA The Wage and Hour Division of the US Department of Labor (DOL) recently issued an opinion letter about when the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) requires employees to be paid for participation in voluntary training programs . The opinion relates to a medical facility that employs staff who must complete continuing education each year [...]
