Intellectual property law for the general practice attorneyBy Preston H. Smirman & David A. BurnsLabor and Employment Law, March 2007While the topic of IP law may seem intimidating, the intended purpose of this article is to “demystify” this area of the law.
Pulling the Plug on “The Electric (Slide)”By Margo Lynn HablutzelIntellectual Property, March 2007Thousands of guests at weddings, bas mitzvah, Sweet Sixteen parties, company holiday gatherings, and other events have been cajoled into joining a line dance called “The Electric Slide” over the last thirty years.
World Intellectual Property Organization proposes new Initiative regarding trademarks for drug namesBy Alpana P. Sahu, K. & Pradip K. SahuInternational and Immigration Law, March 2007From November 13th to the 17th, 2006, the World Intellectual Property Organization’s Standing Committee on Trademarks, Industrial Designs and Geographical Indications (the “Standing Committee) met in Geneva, Switzerland to discuss numerous issues relating to trademark law and practice.
Select Illinois case law on non-disclosure agreements and trade secretsBy Steven L. Baron & Kristin L. LingrenIntellectual Property, January 2007The following is a compilation of significant and/or factually interesting cases addressing issues that directly or indirectly affect the enforceability of nondisclosure agreements in Illinois.
What’s in a name?By Margo Lynn HablutzelIntellectual Property, January 2007Recent activity in the UK and USA have highlighted a celebrity’s use of name or nickname as a trademark.
Protecting ‘Works of the Human Spirit’ worldwideBy Caitlyn McEvoyInternational and Immigration Law, August 2006The World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) is one of the many agencies of the United Nations headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland. Its main objective is to protect and promote the use of intellectual property, deemed as “works of the human spirit.”
Intellectual Improbabilities™By Daniel KeganIntellectual Property, June 2006Data Gone. Jacob Citrin, accused of wiping out all the data on the computer he used at work before he announced his resignation faces a lawsuit by his former employer, a group of affiliated real estate companies, under the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act., 18 USC 1030.
Common mistakes by trademark owners in Mexico, and how to avoid themBy Jaime CastilloIntellectual Property, March 2006Ed Note. The world is reportedly shrinking, NAFTA may be furthering commerce in this hemisphere, exports are an important segment of the Illinois economy, and the Hispanic consumer market is growing. Jaime Castillo summarizes some common mistakes made by US trademark owners in Mexico, and even answers how to avoid them.
Legal wrinkles in sponsored linksBy Steven L. Baron & William BeattieIntellectual Property, March 2006Like everyone else schooled in a brick-and-mortar world, trademark attorneys and the courts are struggling to apply decades-old trademark law principles to the universe of the World Wide Web.
When to file for Federal trademark registrationBy Justin LampelIntellectual Property, March 2006It is a common misconception that having a business name approved by the Secretary of State’s Office provides trademark rights
Charity solicitation confusionBy Daniel KeganIntellectual Property, December 2005The Lanham Act may be the major statute regulating trademarks, banning unfair competition, and dealing with consumer confusion, but there are many other relevant laws.
Corporate assumed name basicsBy Jodi K. PlagenzIntellectual Property, December 2005What if a corporation, for marketing or other business purposes, decides to use a name other than its legal name without making it ‘official’?
Gripers 1, Initial Interest Confusion 0—Lamparello v. FalwellBy Eric GoldmanIntellectual Property, October 2005Following on the Ninth Circuit Bosley (No. 04-55962, 9th Cir. Apr. 4, 2005) opinion from earlier this year, gripe sites won another important victory in the Fourth Circuit.
Corporate assumed name basicsBy Jodi K. PlagenzCorporate Law Departments, September 2005You heard it in your high school freshman literature class and hundreds of times since: Juliet speaks this line, intent on convincing Romeo that his last name means nothing to her. “What’s in a name? That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet.”
Copyright in the digital ageBy Peter LaSorsaCorporate Law Departments, July 2005In the information age the risk of infringing another's copyright protected work has never been higher.
The Computer Fraud and Abuse Act: A new weapon in the trade secrets litigation arenaBy Daniel J. Winters & John F. Costello, Jr.Intellectual Property, April 2005Businesses often face the threat of a disgruntled or conniving departing employee stealing trade secrets or other confidential business information in the period preceding his resignation.
Another perspective on the translation industryBy Felix StungeviciusIntellectual Property, January 2005Qualified professional Translators can be described as members, some of them on the forefront, of what is commonly referred to as the Knowledge Industry.
A translation industry primerBy Grace LeonardIntellectual Property, January 2005In many respects, the world has become the global village Marshall McLuhan wrote about in 1967.
IP notesIntellectual Property, June 2004SUMMARY: Owners of motion pictures that have been published must submit copies of their movies to the Copyright Office for the Library of Congress to use and include in its collections.
KeganLaw art and film intellectual property checklistIntellectual Property, June 2004As digital cameras and digital editing software, both still photography and movie, have become more user-friendly and less expensive, photos and films are sprouting on personal Web pages and school projects.