By Emily J. Zibart on Posted in AdvertisingYou wouldn’t label your product “red” if inspection reveals it to be blue. Similarly, a product or service should not be touted as “green” if it is not demonstrably environmentally friendly. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) imposes limits on the commercial use of terms such as “green,” “eco-friendly,” “recyclable” and “environmentally friendly” as part of its effort … Continue Reading
By Heather J. Hubbard on Posted in Copyright,InternetLast week, I had the pleasure of spending time with some of my favorite copyright lawyers at the Copyright Society of the USA (CSUSA) annual meeting. On Tuesday morning, Jay Rosenthal of NMPA, Mitch Glazier of RIAA, professor Robert Brauneis and author Robert Levine discussed the politics of copyright. The following is a summary of … Continue Reading
By Justin F. McNaughton on Posted in PatentThe Leahy-Smith America Invents Act of 2011 establishes a new fee structure for the solo inventor (or university employee) to be known as “micro entities.” 35 U.S.C. 123. The purpose is to allow these micro entities to receive a seventy-five percent (75%) reduction in patent filing fees. In simplistic terms, a micro entity is one … Continue Reading
By Robb S. Harvey on Posted in Advertising,FranchiseNearly every franchisor has suffered threats of litigation based upon the actions of its franchisees. These threats are not necessarily limited to claims stemming from the franchisees’ delivery of services (from mold remediation to serving tasty food which does not result in gastro-intestinal distress), but may extend to those arising from the franchisees’ employment decisions. … Continue Reading
By Justin F. McNaughton on Posted in PatentOne of the most important deadlines for patentability in the United States is the statutory on-sale bar. Inventors should always have this deadline in mind—it can prevent you from obtaining a patent if you are not mindful of it, since it is one deadline that cannot be extended. Currently (and effective until March 16, 2013, … Continue Reading
