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29 Mar '12As the use of social media continues to grow, many companies may be wondering who owns an employee’s social media account, particularly when it is used for business purposes. A trade secret lawsuit currently pending in California will likely shed light on the issue. The Facts of the Case Phone Dog Media filed the lawsuit […]
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28 Mar '12Sometimes, authors want to their true identity to remain hidden from the public. For instance, popular author Dean Koontz has written under at least eleven pen names. Many often wonder if authors who use pen names or pseudonyms can still copyright their work. The answer is yes. As detailed by the U.S. Copyright Office, a […]
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27 Mar '12As you may have heard, one of the country’s most closely guarded trade secrets has changed locations. Coca-Cola has created a high security vault in Atlanta to house its “secret formula” for the popular soft drink. Until this week, the only official written copy was allegedly kept under lock and key in a bank vault. […]
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26 Mar '12In general, a “design patent” protects the way an article looks, as opposed to a “utility patent” that protects the way an article is used and works. In some cases, an invention possesses both functional and ornamental characteristics, and both design and utility patents may be obtained. What Is a “Design?” A “design” is defined […]
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25 Mar '12Well, once again Mother Nature has thwarted another attempt by me to complete a full photographic marathon. Actually, this time she had help. I had started to test my equipment on Thursday night and everything was working so well that I actually had 50 Messier objects photographed by midnight. However, I had an important client […]
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21 Mar '12Owning a Federal trademark registration provides several distinct advantages, including the ability to file a trademark lawsuit to protect the mark. In order to obtain a trademark, applicants must be able to show current use of the mark in commerce, or their intent to use their mark “in commerce” in the future. What do you […]
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The U.S. Copyright Office recently recommended that sound recordings made before February 15, 1972 be brought under federal copyright law. Under the current copyright regime, recordings made before that date are protected under state law. As a result, the legal protection of pre-1972 sound recordings varies by state, and the scope of protection is often […]
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18 Mar '12The Los Angeles County Bar Executive committee unanimously voted this last week to approved the Armed Services committee for permanent status. The motion now goes before the full board and hopefully I will be able to report shortly that all the hard work of the committee to draft a report citing the need for this committee on […]
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12 Mar '12
A patent search is often the first step in pursuing a patent, and its importance should not be overlooked. In order to patent an invention, it must be truly novel. The best way evaluate the originality of your idea is to conduct a thorough patent search. In addition to determining if someone else already has […]
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09 Mar '12
If you looked into filing a trademark application, you know that there are some decisions to make. One of the most important choices is the depiction of your mark. Every application must include a clear representation of the mark you want to register. This representation is used by the Trademark Office to file the mark […]
