Many business owners that I work with all too easily fall into the same trap: they work countless hours to tirelessly work to build their brand. They know they must protect it, so they take the responsible route, and obtain a federal trademark registration. After what is usually a long year of waiting, the registration […]

Or what I really want to title this article: how to take strategic advantage of business opportunities by leveraging legal options. This is a long-awaited announcement: I have brought on a business partner in my second business, The Creative Law Shop®. And I couldn’t be more thrilled by this transition. The backstory can be found […]

In our digital world, most businesses cross international lines (knowingly or unknowingly). After all, you can’t control who can view your online content, no matter what country they’re in. Because of this fact, if your business is marketing online in any capacity, and you have customers or clients in other countries, you must assess whether […]

Recently, a slew of inquiries have crossed my desk regarding domain ownership: everything from dealing with cybersquatters, to those who are attempting to impermissibly use a distinctly similar domain to others, even hostile takeovers of a domain/business. Here are answers taken directly from responses to client questions that will pertain to all online business owners: […]

In other words, how to avoid wasting money on building name recognition and branding, only to fall prey to arguably the easiest pitfall in trademarking. The most common (and avoidable) errors I witness trademark applicants make is inadvertently applying for what’s known as a “generic” or “descriptive” trademark. In a best case scenario, this can […]

Most know that trademarks exist to aid in distinguishing an owner’s goods or services from other businesses, as well as a source identifier. However, few business owners know that technically, there are 3 forms of trademark ownership:  1. Common law trademark rights under the Lanham Act, or two forms of registration with the USPTO: 2. […]

This year I’ve been nearly entirely absent from blogging, because 1. COVID; 2. At the outset of 2020, I made an intentional decision to dedicate my time to mentoring, and was blessed with the opportunity to work with fantastic interns, and 3. I’ve spent endless hours having important conversations with my own mentor about everything […]

Nothing in this article is to be construed as legal advice; rather, the information derived from the cases discussed below are for educational purposes only. This summer, I, like so many other users, began to notice an increase in “community guideline” flags and takedowns on Instagram, and received an explosion of legal inquiries regarding these […]

We’re living in unprecedented times, without question. COVID-19 has seemingly turned the world on its head in 2020, and questions  remain in the wake of state reopenings.  One immediately pressing question is whether or not states have the legal right to require citizens to wear masks. In a word, yes. This right has been well […]

A recent development in the Washington Redskins case showcases a rare side of trademark disputes, and more importantly: the risk that any business owner runs by waiting too long to trademark their name. What’s in a name? In order for it to be applicable for a trademark registration, it must be more than creative- it […]