FAQs

If a business can be compared to a human body, contracts are its bones. They hold up the company, protect its most vital organs, and extend throughout every aspect of the business…and things go terribly wrong when they break.

Even a minor flaw in a contract can have devastating consequences, which is why it is usually preferable to work with an attorney rather than risk trying to do it all yourself. This article will help business builders and entrepreneurs understand the danger of handling contracts by themselves and the advantages of working with an attorney, including:

• Why customization is so important in legal contracts for any business.
• Two common dispute types that can be avoided through effective and professional contract creation and review.
• What to do when a party breaches or breaks their contract (and why you need a lawyer to do it). Read More

Intellectual property protections are all about shielding your hard work and effort from theft or abuse by others. Copyright is one of three major tools, along with patents and trademarks, which defend your brand, identity, or creative work from harm. This article focuses primarily on copyright, answering many essential questions every creator needs to consider, such as:

• What is copyright, how is it different from other intellectual property protections, and what type of material does it cover?
• How long does copyright last (the answer might surprise you!), and what protections does it offer?
• What is considered fair use of copyrighted materials, and what remedies are available for copyright infringement? Read More

It is increasingly apparent that a company is only as strong as its brand, which is, in turn, only protected by your trademarks. So what happens when a competitor starts trying to use your name or a similar one to sell their inferior products?

When this happens, you call a lawyer to discuss trademark infringement. This article covers the basics of trademark infringement and the available remedies that every business owner, brand builder, and content creator needs to understand, including:

• What is considered trademark infringement, and how you can remedy it.
• The 12 factors that determine trademark infringement in U.S. courts (you will never guess all 12!).
• How to calculate damages in trademark infringement cases, and why it is tough to recover them. Read More

Trademarks are a vital element of any brand’s identity. They are a protection for the brand's identity and reputation. But what does it take to register a trademark successfully? How can you guarantee your application will be approved? This article dives into these important questions that every business owner, social media influencer, and brand builder needs to know, notably:

• How long a trademark clearance search takes (and why you absolutely need one).
• Two key reasons trademark applications get rejected and how to avoid them.
• What you need to do after your trademark is approved. Read More

This article is designed to help any business owner or personal brand developer understand trademarks. From how they work to the value a trademark can represent for you, this article offers the fundamental facts about trademarks, including:

• What trademarks are and what they protect against.
• The two key types of trademarks and the information needed to develop them.
• How to get started on your trademark creation, and how to ensure compliance along the way. Read More

Most small businesses cannot afford full-time employees. Therefore, it is crucial that your independent contractor agreement, in fact, allows you to classify your vendor as an Independent Contractor. There are clauses and factors that can weigh in favor of finding that the vendor was actually an employee, resulting in fines and penalties based on that classification. Therefore, it is crucial that you have a valid independent contractor agreement.

If you have an idea and you are approaching developers or contractors about building your concept out, you need to ensure there is an NDA in place BEFORE you disclose your ideas. NDA’s are also used in any situation in which sensitive and confidential information needs to be protected.

The terms of use for a mobile application explain the rules, requirements, restrictions, and limitations that users must abide by in order to use a mobile application. It is a binding contract between you and the user, so it is crucial to have this in place so your users cannot misuse your app.

If you collect any personal information from users, many laws, including international laws, require you to include a privacy policy on your website that explains in detail how you gather and store data.

If you own a trademark and plan to allow other parties to use your name, it is important to set the expectations and quality control elements in a formal licensing agreement.

Sometimes, after you obtain trademark registration, you may be approached by a party that seeks to register a mark that is similar to yours. If you choose to allow it and do not have concerns about customer confusion as to both names, you can agree to enter into a Trademark Coexistence Agreement. You may also be the party requesting the Coexistence Agreement if you find a party in a clearance search that you want to approach for their “blessing” and agreement not to sue you if you use the mark.