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 [...]
You’re angry. Your employer fired you, or your neighbor plays loud music every day, or you slipped walking into the grocery store. Should you sue? Maybe not. Before filing a lawsuit, there are a number of things you should think carefully about, including these risks. 1. No matter how good your case appears to be, you might lose. 2. Even [...]
Choosing a trademark may be more difficult than you think. You might be focusing on the catchiness of the name, but there are legal considerations that should be considered as well, such as the possibility of infringing some other trademark. People often think that if they aren't aware of anyone else using the same trademark, it's okay. They may rely [...]
U.S. OSHA Guidance on Reporting COVID-19 Cases On Sept. 30, 2020, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) issued guidance clarifying employers’ obligations to report COVID-19 cases resulting in hospitalization or death. Under this new guidance, employers have 24 hours to report in-patient hospitalizations caused by COVID-19 and eight hours to report COVID-19 fatalities. For a hospitalization to be reportable, [...]
