Brand Protection for Mature Companies

trademark printed on rubber stamp

Congratulations!  Your company has become a success.  You have already proven out the basic elements of your company and are able to scale and implement this into different markets.  You imagine this company will be a cash cow for years to come. Doesn’t this make your company ripe for copying?  Using similar names is one…

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Trademark 101: How to Protect Your Brand

Chisel for sculpting stone, artistic work

Trademark is the area of law that helps companies protect their brands.  “Trademark” is a great word for a lawyer, but I prefer to speak to the masses.  I call this brand protection law. Did you know that this area of the law came from medieval guilds and ancient ranchers?  Guilds assigned makers’ marks to…

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Recent Developments in Trademark and Branding Law

a judge listens to two lawyers

Dancing into the new year, it’s now time for our annual recap and look ahead, covering recent developments in trademark, copyright, media/entertainment, and branding law. 2023 started off with web 3.0 and the metaverse being all the rage. NFTs were leading the charge with the Hermès v. Rothschild opinion rendered just a few weeks later…

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What Is a Trademark Opposition and How Can My Business Avoid One?

A trademark opposition is a type of litigation proceeding at the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board (TTAB) where a third party can object to your application before it is granted a registration. Essentially, when someone files an opposition against your application, they are telling the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) that they would…

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FOOD FOR THOUGHT: A RECIPE FOR SAFEGUARDING CULINARY CREATIONS

Interested in protecting that long-cherished family favorite? Or perhaps you’re a chef or restaurateur interested in preserving commercial advantage against potential competitors and former employees? Protection of food products serves as a valuable case study for comparing and contrasting various IP strategies. So take a seat as we present an extensive menu of options. Patent  As explained…

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How To Avoid Trademark Infringements And Disputes

When a business ends up with a trademark infringement case, it can be a disruptive ordeal. The key to avoiding such circumstances is to steer through the brand landscape with knowledge and avoid actions that might bring further upheavals to daily operations.   Understanding trademarks is a crucial first step. Generally, a business connects signs to…

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Patent Branding: Exploring Other Forms of IP Protection

i p protection

Businesses typically rely on trademark or even copyright to protect their valuable branding assets. However, an effective branding strategy also employs the exclusivity of both design and utility patent protection whenever its available, effectively keeping potential competitors out of the marketplace, regardless of brand name. Illustrating this concept in greater detail are the case studies…

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Ontario Business Registry: 6 Best Tips To Do It Right

sign up for a registry

When you start a business, one of the first few things you must do is enlist your establishment into your local business registry. By doing so, you’re essentially establishing your business as a reliable entity for customers, suppliers, and job seekers. It also allows you to fully market your brand not just in your locality…

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Expanding Branding: Exploring Other Forms Of Trademark Protection

One key Branding Law strategy involves stretching the boundaries of traditional trademark principles for registering important business assets. As a companion piece to our discussion of non-standard copyrights from a few months back, the following is a brief survey of some lesser-known types of trademarks that could be available for protecting certain brand attributes as…

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What Is A Trademark and When Does Your Business Need One?

Image If you’re a business owner, then you’re most probably familiar with the term “trademark”. Otherwise, a trademark can be any word, symbol, or design that helps people identify your company’s goods and services uniquely. In other words, it helps your target audience or the marketplace to differentiate products from those of your competitors in…

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