Last month, we heard tell o’ the pirates and the lawyers that chase ’em to the gates of perdition (or at least to the local federal courthouse,) with bloggers getting caught in the crossfire on the open sea, holed and sunk by legal briefs and lawyer bills. This month, it’s time to run for safe […]
Blog – Adam Garson Law
The Trademark Trial and Appeal Board (“TTAB”) takes on another automobile-related trademark case, this time between General Motors and Jim M. Sweeney, who wanted to register CORVOLTTE to identify “electric vehicles, namely, automobiles.” Of course, general General Motors opposed the registration of CORVOLTTE on grounds of priority and likelihood of confusion with its CORVETTE mark. […]
Many inventors are not aware that it is supremely easy for a U.S. inventor to lose foreign patent rights even if the inventor’s U.S. patent rights are preserved. How does that happen? By publicly disclosing the invention prior to the filing a patent application in the U.S. or elsewhere. The laws of the U.S. are […]
Many individuals, companies and non-profits now have “blogs” where they invite comments and questions from readers. Most of those operating blogs and other websites seem unaware that they could be subject to suit for copyright infringement if materials posted by others are alleged to violate the exclusive rights of copyright holders. Many bloggers have fallen […]
Policing Trademarks is Important but Have We Gone Too Far?
November 30, 2010
Trademark
Policing your trademarks is as important as registering them. Policing requires that you monitor the world of commerce to insure that others are not using your marks — or confusingly similar marks — and, if so, that you take immediate action against the infringers. Big corporations zealously defend their trademark portfolios but have they taken […]
The PTO is taking another step to reduce its workload through deferring examination of patent applications. The PTO has announced that it will soon start a pilot program to allow inventors to defer the payment of certain filing fees by one year. The stated goal of the pilot program is to allow inventors a total […]
“InventorsEye” is a bimonthly online publication by the U.S. PTO for individual inventors. Among other things, the publication gathers resources for individual inventors, such as inventor’s clubs and support organizations. “InventorsEye” is a publication of the Inventors Assistance Center. If you’re an inventor, check it out. — Robert Yarbrough, Esq.
Ask Dr. Copyright… How Long Does a Copyright Last?
October 29, 2010
Ask Dr. Copyright, Copyright
Dear Doc: How long does a copyright last? I seem to remember that it’s 28 years or so, but that it can be renewed, and that’s why they sing cheesy “faux” happy birthday songs in restaurants… because they don’t want to have to pay the two little old ladies who own the rights. Right??? Signed, […]
I took my Cobra down to the track,hitched to the back of my Cadillac, Everyone was there just a waiting for me There were plenty of Stingrays and XKEs… (written by Carol Conner)The Rip-Chords – 1964 It’s just a shame that, according to the U.S. Trademark Trial and Appeal Board (“Board”), your 1965 Cobra 427, […]
Say it’s a warm day and you’ve popped into the local tiki-themed cocktail lounge for a refreshing beverage. Is it possible that the tiny umbrella-embellished cocktail you’ve just been served is an infringement of someone else’s intellectual property rights? Take the case of Pusser’s Rum Ltd., a rum distiller located in the British Virgin Islands. […]