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 1924 are entering the public domain. Once a work becomes part of [...]
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. Protection from Cybersquatters While there are numerous reasons to register your mark as soon as possible, one of the more significant is that it's [...]
Most people don't like to think about their own mortality, so they put off estate planning. They're waiting until they're older, they have more time or more money, or they plan a trip to Europe. In fact, a 2019 Caring.com poll found that only 43% of Americans have wills, and a 2017 study by researchers at the Perelman School of [...]
A number of new laws take effect on January 1, 2020. This alert discusses some of the most important of these for small businesses. Oregon Corporate Activity Tax Legislation passed last year adopted a new Corporate Activity Tax (CAT) imposed on all types of businesses, including corporations, partnerships and sole proprietorships. This tax is in addition to the current corporate [...]
We frequently get questions from our clients about requests for payment of registration, publication or renewal fees for corporate, domain name and intellectual property filings. Requests may also be received for monitoring fees or the preparation of minutes. The scam requests typically look like invoices or letters, often containing false due dates or threats about loss of rights if you [...]
Company-sponsored parties are a fun way to build employee morale during the holiday season, but, if you're not careful, they can also result in significant liability. Potential claims include those for sexual harassment, discrimination, and overtime pay. Worse still, you may find your business is liable for an employee's behavior after the party, such as when an employee who becomes [...]
Last week, the Federal Trade Commission released 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 viewed as an expert within their niche. When these influencers recommend specific brands, their followers tend to trust their advice. In other words, [...]
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 agents seized 34,143 shipments of infringing goods from [...]
We frequently get questions from our clients about requests for payment of registration, publication or renewal fees for corporate, domain name and intellectual property filings. Requests may also be received for monitoring fees or the preparation of minutes. The scam requests typically look like invoices or letters, often containing false due dates or threats about loss of rights if you [...]
A number of celebrities, including Jennifer Lopez, Victoria Beckham, Justin Bieber, Nicki Minaj, and Gigi Hadid, have recently been sued by paparazzi for sharing photos of themselves on their social media accounts. Since few of us are followed around by paparazzi, you may not think this is relevant to you, but the same laws apply to photos you commission, like [...]
