Here & Now: Trademarks and the “Failure to Function” Doctrine
Here & Now
September 1, 2020

Trademark law can be confusing when it comes to determining whether a particular word, phrase, or design may be registered as a trademark.  Almost every week seems to bring another story about an aspiring entrepreneur attempting to register the latest […]

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1pIP: Claiming Trademark Rights to Colors
1pIP Summary
August 4, 2020

Trademarks and service marks identify and distinguish goods or services sold by one person or business from those of another.  They are a primary component of marketing strategies and advertising campaigns to establish and strengthen their owner’s brands.  In some […]

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1pIP: How Can Copyrights Protect My Work?
1pIP Summary
July 13, 2020

Copyrights protect “original works of authorship.”  This includes literature, music, plays, and other types of artistic works.  Copyright protection arises automatically the moment that a work is created—the first time it appears in a fixed form.  A copyright is the […]

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Here & Now: Layoffs and the Enforcement of Employee Agreements
Here & Now
June 29, 2020

The COVID-19 pandemic has had an unprecedented impact on U.S. businesses of all types and sizes.  Between March and June of 2020, more than 40 million Americans filed for unemployment benefits, many after being laid off from their jobs as […]

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