By Stephen D. Wilson | October 30, 2019 On September 27, 2019, Malaysia joined an intellectual property (IP) treaty that will benefit U.S. brand owners who wish to protect trademark rights in Southeast Asia. Madrid System The Madrid System for the International Registration of Marks (Madrid System) is a trademark [...]
When choosing a brand name or slogan, an often-overlooked consideration is the strength of potential trademark protection. Whether a fresh-faced entrepreneur starting a new business or a seasoned marketing expert, anyone who creates a brand must contemplate the degree of protection afforded to that mark. To obtain protection under U.S. [...]
The U.S. is a party to a number of intellectual property (IP) treaties. These treaties help IP owners in the U.S. protect rights internationally, and help foreign IP owners to protect rights in the U.S. Madrid System One of these treaties is the Madrid System for the International Registration of [...]
On May 1, 2019, two U.S. copyright bills referred to as the “Copyright Alternative in Small-Claims Enforcement Act of 2019” or “CASE Act of 2019” were introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives (H.R. 2426) and the Senate (S. 1273). The CASE Act bills propose to create a voluntary small [...]
Imagine being ordered by a court to immediately stop using your name. How difficult would it be to: (1) choose a new name; (2) notify everyone of your new name without referencing your prior name; and (3) destroy all materials containing your prior name? Now imagine being ordered by a [...]
The United States Supreme Court has ruled that copyright owners must register their works prior to filing suit against infringers. In Fourth Estate Public Benefit Corporation v. Wall-Street.com, LLC, 586 U.S. ____ (2019), the Court held that registration is a statutory prerequisite to a copyright infringement lawsuit. Faced with a [...]
For the first time in 20 years, a massive volume of artwork, books, films, music, and other works of authorship that were first published in the United States in 1923 entered the public domain on January 1, 2019. A federal copyright law enacted in 1998 postponed the release into the [...]
State legislatures have been busy enacting or considering new laws governing trade secrets and noncompete agreements, including Colorado, Idaho, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Utah, Vermont, and Washington. It may be time to blow the dust off your form agreements and confer with intellectual property (IP) counsel to see [...]
As global trade and multinational business grow, worldwide trademark protection has become extremely important. Canada is or may become a vital market for many U.S. brand owners, and vice versa. Brand owners should be aware that the Government of Canada is in the process of implementing a major overhaul of [...]
The value of intangible assets including intellectual property (IP) is rising steeply in the U.S. and globally. Businesses and their advisors need to understand and leverage a company’s portfolio of IP assets to maximize present and future value. An IP audit may help. Tangible and Intangible Business Value In [...]
