Fashion trends may come and go, but some stay. For example, the bra, the zipper and good old blue jeans began as trends, but are now viewed as conventional wear. From an intellectual property standpoint, were these trends ever protected? The answer to that is yes. The folks that invented the bra (US patent 1,115,674), the zipper (US patent 1,060,378),
By now, most people have learned how the opioid crisis has ruined countless lives. As addiction and dependency have spread at a record pace, communities have struggled to keep up with the direct and indirect challenges that have come along with the epidemic. One of the main ways that the medical community has battled opiate addiction is with replacement therapy,
Apologies for this article’s salty title, but it is an homage to fictional mob boss Paul Cicero’s business philosophy in Martin Scorsese’s timeless movie, “Goodfellas.” While I would never condone it, it is not hard to understand why some subcontractors fantasize about employing Paulie’s business practices to ensure timely payment. In a world where “pay-when-paid” clauses are the norm, subcontractors
Class counsel, when drafting a class definition, are focused on Rule 23’s commonality, typicality, and predominance requirements. To satisfy those requirements, class counsel will craft a narrow class definition. The narrower the definition, the more likely common questions will predominate. But a class definition can be too narrow – including only those who will prevail on the merits. Such class
There are several reasons why an adult adoption may be undertaken. The most common reason is to formally and legally recognize an existing parent/child relationship. Among the benefits of a formal adoption is the ability of the adopted person to inherit from the adoptive parent. An adult adoption also may be used to provide protection for a person of diminished
Throughout 2018, California has continued to advance its sexual harassment and discrimination protections for those in the workplace. The new labor regulations, which aim to overhaul everything from the number of women in the boardroom to sexual harassment training, should be an example for the remainder of the United States to follow. Many of the regulations, which went into effect
In the world of trademarks, some marks are stronger than others. Fanciful marks are the strongest. These are made-up terms that have no meaning except as a brand, such as PEPSI or XEROX. Arbitrary marks are almost as good. These are real words that have no association with their respective goods or services, like APPLE (for computers) or CUB (for
Spray polyurethane foam (SPF) insulation has become a popular “green” solution in homes across the United States, and around the world. It is comparatively cost effective, energy efficient, and those who choose it are eligible for federal energy tax credits. Because of claims by SPF home insulation manufacturers and installation companies, many homeowners have selected SPF over standard insulation in
In the approximately thirty-two years in which I have held a law license, I have been privileged with the opportunity to be involved in some fairly high-profile cases. I’ve surely seen my share of bad actors and horrific injuries. But, my representation of many of the victims of Dr. Christopher Duntsch, probably “takes the cake.” In case you’ve been living
This year I went through the process of filing trademark applications for my law firm’s trademarks. Soon after I filed the applications, I started receiving all kinds of trademark scams via mail from companies claiming to publish international catalogues of trademarks and provide global trademark protection. I realized that all of my clients are receiving these scam mailings every time
Fashion trends may come and go, but some stay. For example, the bra, the zipper and good old blue jeans began as trends, but are now viewed as conventional wear. From an intellectual property standpoint, were these trends ever protected? The answer to that is yes. The folks that invented the bra (US patent 1,115,674), the zipper (US patent 1,060,378),
By now, most people have learned how the opioid crisis has ruined countless lives. As addiction and dependency have spread at a record pace, communities have struggled to keep up with the direct and indirect challenges that have come along with the epidemic. One of the main ways that the medical community has battled opiate addiction is with replacement therapy,
Apologies for this article’s salty title, but it is an homage to fictional mob boss Paul Cicero’s business philosophy in Martin Scorsese’s timeless movie, “Goodfellas.” While I would never condone it, it is not hard to understand why some subcontractors fantasize about employing Paulie’s business practices to ensure timely payment. In a world where “pay-when-paid” clauses are the norm, subcontractors
Class counsel, when drafting a class definition, are focused on Rule 23’s commonality, typicality, and predominance requirements. To satisfy those requirements, class counsel will craft a narrow class definition. The narrower the definition, the more likely common questions will predominate. But a class definition can be too narrow – including only those who will prevail on the merits. Such class
There are several reasons why an adult adoption may be undertaken. The most common reason is to formally and legally recognize an existing parent/child relationship. Among the benefits of a formal adoption is the ability of the adopted person to inherit from the adoptive parent. An adult adoption also may be used to provide protection for a person of diminished
Throughout 2018, California has continued to advance its sexual harassment and discrimination protections for those in the workplace. The new labor regulations, which aim to overhaul everything from the number of women in the boardroom to sexual harassment training, should be an example for the remainder of the United States to follow. Many of the regulations, which went into effect
In the world of trademarks, some marks are stronger than others. Fanciful marks are the strongest. These are made-up terms that have no meaning except as a brand, such as PEPSI or XEROX. Arbitrary marks are almost as good. These are real words that have no association with their respective goods or services, like APPLE (for computers) or CUB (for
Spray polyurethane foam (SPF) insulation has become a popular “green” solution in homes across the United States, and around the world. It is comparatively cost effective, energy efficient, and those who choose it are eligible for federal energy tax credits. Because of claims by SPF home insulation manufacturers and installation companies, many homeowners have selected SPF over standard insulation in
In the approximately thirty-two years in which I have held a law license, I have been privileged with the opportunity to be involved in some fairly high-profile cases. I’ve surely seen my share of bad actors and horrific injuries. But, my representation of many of the victims of Dr. Christopher Duntsch, probably “takes the cake.” In case you’ve been living
This year I went through the process of filing trademark applications for my law firm’s trademarks. Soon after I filed the applications, I started receiving all kinds of trademark scams via mail from companies claiming to publish international catalogues of trademarks and provide global trademark protection. I realized that all of my clients are receiving these scam mailings every time
