The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) will be raising fees for patents this October. Earlier this summer, it published a proposed rule to raise trademark fees as well. Patents The patent fee adjustments were proposed before COVID-19 to grow the patent operating reserve, and most will take effect October 2, 2020. The most significant fee increases relate to [...]
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. Nor do we know when we might become incapacitated due to an accident or [...]
Gruyère cheese has been made in Switzerland since 1115 and in France for hundreds of years. A few years ago, Swiss and French industry groups filed an application with the US Patent and Trademark Office to register GRUYERE (no accent mark) as a certification mark for cheese originating in the Gruyère region of Switzerland and France. Switzerland and the EU [...]
OSHA and Face Masks Anyone who spends much time on social media has probably seen the claims that OSHA says it’s dangerous for people to wear cloth face masks. In light of these claims, OSHA has updated its guidance on this issue. In response to the FAQ “Does wearing a medical/surgical mask or cloth face covering cause unsafe oxygen levels or [...]
If you’re a country-music fan or a follower of #BLM news, you’ve probably heard about the trademark lawsuit filed by the Nashville trio formerly known as Lady Antebellum. The members of Lady Antebellum had announced in June that, after having had their “eyes opened wide to the injustices, inequality and biases black women and men have always faced and continue [...]
Business filing scams have become so common that a number of state corporate divisions have begun issuing scam warnings on their websites. For example, the Oregon Secretary of State Corporation Division is warning business owners about a Workplace Compliance Services (W.C.S.) or C.P.S. mailing resembling the official annual report notice from the Oregon Secretary of State. Similarly, the Washington Secretary [...]
Although many of us are avoiding travel during the pandemic, some people still plan to use their vacation time to travel, whether to enjoy the great outdoors, tour colleges with their children, or visit with friends and family. But will these employees put others at risk when they return to work? How can the risk be reduced while still allowing [...]
Why You Should Always Register Your Copyrights as Quickly as Possible You may have heard there’s no need to register your copyright, because it’s automatically protected. But this is only half the story—you can’t enforce your copyright without either a certificate of registration or a denial of registration from the Copyright Office. Plus, there are a lot of reasons to [...]
Businesses often want to have a trademark that describes what they’re selling, but in order to be protectable, a trademark must be “distinctive.” This means it must be used to identify the source of the product or service. Courts classify marks into categories of distinctiveness. The most distinctive marks are those that are arbitrary or fanciful. Examples include EXXON for [...]
Supreme Court Ruling on LGBTQ Employment Discrimination A federal law, Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, prohibits employers from discriminating against any individual with respect to compensation, terms, conditions, or privileges of employment "because of" or "on the basis of" such individual's race, color, religion, sex, or national origin. The prohibition against discrimination based on sex was [...]
