You spent years refining a product's shape, colors and packaging until customers could spot it in a crowded search result. Then a competitor launches a listing that looks almost identical. A registered brand name may not stop this copying, but federal law can still...
Copyright infringement claims can create serious headaches for small business owners. A single oversight — like using an unlicensed image or repurposing copyrighted content — can result in lawsuits, financial penalties, and reputational damage. With so many...
In California, trade secrets can include anything from customer lists and devices to business plans, programs or special recipes. Protecting your company's valuable information is crucial in today's competitive business world. The California Uniform Trade Secrets Act...
In a number of our posts, we have highlighted how some companies jealously protect them and how certain words and phrases may be protected even though they may seem too generic to merit protection.However, we have not discussed the benefits of establishing a trademark...
As we have noted in prior posts, innovation drives the marketplace. This means that cultivating new ideas is just as important as nurturing current products. While many would be entrepreneurs have fantastic ideas, getting them to the marketplace in a manner that will...
If you are starting a company or are considering hiring employees for your burgeoning enterprise, maintaining secrets and inspiring innovation are important. However, in today’s marketplace, employees come and employees go. In this environment, companies must...
In the olden days (i.e. before the latest generation of smartphones became mainstream), it took a marketing company to generate a shrewd and creative marketing plan to establish a company’s brand. Nowadays, brands can be created in one’s living room....
While National Small Business Month is still a ways away, there is no time like the present to start a new business. In fact, many people view a new business venture as one of their New Year’s resolutions. But as you begin putting your plan into action, creating...
The idea behind the adage “six degrees of separation” is that people (or things) are all related to a certain extent, and that they can be connected in a maximum of six steps. This adage becomes especially important in the world of trademarks and...
In today’s marketplace, being noticed counts; even if you have to refer to close cousins of four letter words that are considered “immoral” or “scandalous.” In fact, some business owners (and consumers, obviously) appreciate the play on...