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Intellectual Property

State Trademark Registration: Before Someone Takes Your Name

Z. Peter Sawicki and Amanda Prose October 13, 2026

Most businesses serious about protecting a brand seek federal trademark registration. But there is another form of registration that is often overlooked – registering the trademark with the state where the business operates. Why bother with a state registration when you already have, or plan to obtain, a federal registration? The answer is surprisingly practical. In Minnesota, a trademark or

Who Invented Labor Day?

Z. Peter Sawicki and Amanda Prose September 10, 2026

Labor Day – a U.S. federal holiday celebrated on the first Monday in September – is associated with the unofficial end of summer vacation and BBQ parties. While the origin of Labor Day in the United States is associated with labor unions, there is a dispute as to who first proposed a holiday to honor workers. One camp sides with

Staking a Claim: Who Owns AI-Generated Content?

Z. Peter Sawicki and Amanda Prose August 24, 2026

Generative artificial intelligence has quickly become a routine business tool. Employees use AI platforms to draft marketing materials, prepare reports, create presentations, write software code, develop product descriptions, and generate artwork. Independent contractors are increasingly relying on the same technologies to perform services for their clients. As the use of these systems expands, businesses are beginning to ask an important

IP and AI Deepfakes: Can you really “Trademark Yourself?” Should You?

Z. Peter Sawicki and Amanda Prose July 8, 2026

Artificial Intelligence can use online content from creators to produce various “new works” online, whether those original content creators are globally famous, locally famous, or anonymous. These new works might be “deepfakes,” parodies, funny memes, or advertisements meant to trade off the goodwill of another party. Are there really ways to stop others from using that content when the content

AI and Life After Death

Z. Peter Sawicki and Amanda Prose June 23, 2026

“Who Wants to Live Forever” was a song written by Queen for the film Highlander (1986). Who knew that in 2025 Meta in obtaining U.S. Patent No. 12,513,102 would provide a method of a virtual life after death. What once sounded like science fiction, or perhaps a rejected subplot from a dystopian television series, may become a virtual reality and

Protect… Prevent… and Invent Again!

Z. Peter Sawicki and Amanda Prose May 11, 2026

Our articles frequently focus on the mechanisms available to protect various forms of intellectual property (IP) and what types of IP can be protected with federal registration or a patent. But how can your client (the IP creator or owner) really prevent the theft of that protected IP – in the real world? How do you protect it once it

Springtime Creativity and Copyright

Z. Peter Sawicki and Amanda Prose April 6, 2026

Spring is a season of renewal—and for many businesses, it is also a season of marketing. Retailers roll out Easter promotions, manufacturers introduce seasonal packaging, and service providers refresh branding for Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, graduations, and spring religious holidays such as Passover and Shavuot. Florals, bunnies, pastel colors, and messages of gratitude suddenly appear everywhere. What many businesses do

Demonstrations, Protests and Observations: Protecting your Creative Expression from Exploitation

Z. Peter Sawicki and Amanda Prose March 9, 2026

Copyright protects the expression of an idea by its creators. Our clients create “stuff” all the time in the normal course of their business. They can also create this stuff when they are supporting social causes or communities or exercising their First Amendment rights. Does any of this “stuff” qualify for copyright protection? And can these creators stop others from

Abstract Idea ≠ Patentable

Z. Peter Sawicki and Amanda Prose February 5, 2026

An abstract idea and a patent attorney walk into a patent bar. The bartender says, “Sorry, we don’t serve abstract ideas.” The attorney replies, “That’s fine—we’ll just reduce it to practice.” Some of you may already get the punchline. If you don’t, read this short article and learn about “The REAL Ideas of Patent Law.” The Abstract Idea Patent attorneys

AI-Related Patents: New Technologies, and New (and Old) Examination Protocols

Z. Peter Sawicki and Amanda Prose January 9, 2026

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is a hot topic right now, whether as a watercooler topic about how it can make our work tasks easier or for the funny memes it can be used to create. AI is everywhere and on everyone’s mind. On a more serious note, the AI effect on the many technologies that are woven through our everyday lives

Intellectual Property

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