On March 16, 2013, the biggest change in patent law in decades will take effect. On that day, patent law officially changes from “first-to-invent”—where first inventors are entitled to patent an innovation, to “first-to-file”—where the first to get to the patent office obtains the patent, regardless of whether he or she was […]
For e-commerce, online visibility is critical. Many online businesses seek it by using Google’s Adwords (or similar programs) to promote their products in internet searches. Through Adwords, a business can select key terms and pay for sponsored advertising in search results for those terms on a “per-click” basis. But, what […]
I depart from intellectual property on this month’s post to wish you all happy thanksgiving, and to offer a heartfelt “thank you” for your friendship, acquaintance, and business. I don’t recognize my opportunities and blessings enough. I’m hoping to improve, particularly following a recent experience. This month, through the generosity […]
We’ve all seen copyright notices like this: “© 2012 John Doe”. Copyright law is great in that you aren’t even required to register your work (e.g., book, song, software, design, painting) with the U.S. copyright office in order to have protection under the law. But, when a work is unlawfully […]
Companies often grapple with the question of how to effectively value their investment into perfecting intellectual property rights like trademarks. Justifiably so; the question is often complex and case-specific. Any cost-benefit analysis must take into account the company’s broader business and strategic objectives, likely outcomes of applications, etc. I often […]
