An Overview of Non-Disclosure Agreements in California and What They Should Contain A non-disclosure agreement, also known as a confidentiality agreement or “NDA,” can be an important part of doing business in California, throughout the nation, and internationally. A non-disclosure agreement is an agreement by which two parties agree that the information they share with [...]
Practical Steps in Protecting Valuable Trade Secrets from Unauthorized Disclosure and Access Trade secrets are one of the most valuable elements of the business, and can wreak havoc if permitted to fall into the wrong hands, or worse, allowed to walk out the door. Every day, however, companies lose the benefit and value of information they [...]
Can a business playing Spotify or Pandora at work get into trouble? Or is it legal? It seems like having music in the background of your business is essential, especially a customer focused business like a coffee shop or clothing store. It’s more convenient than ever now to supply an endless supply of musical beats [...]
Oculu, an online video hosting provider, has been involved with a trademark infringement lawsuit against Oculus, a company that has been purchased by Facebook for $2,000,000,000. A California federal court has hit the small firm with sanctions due to untimely filing of paperwork that was requested by the judge in their case. The paperwork was [...]
When it comes to intellectual property, businesses can have a blind spot: protecting their most valuable assets through intellectual property protections. Unfortunately, many businesses realize the problem of leaving their assets uncovered when a competitor starts using a name, product, or packaging very similar to the one sold by the business. If you are wondering [...]
“A rose, by any other name, would smell just as sweet,” crooned star-crossed Romeo to Juliet in the memorable line from the play. But it would definitely not be sweet would be to wake up to ads by a new competitor that is using a name extremely similar to your company’s name. You might then realize your [...]
If your business venture or startup involves an innovative process or design that is capable of being patented, you will want to make sure you fully understand the patent process and take steps to patent your invention pretty quickly. Patent laws in the U.S. bar an inventor from seeking a patent more than 1 year after the invention [...]
Startups are called “startups” for a reason – they almost always involve a new product, invention, technology, product, good, or other service that is not already in the marketplace. New ideas and inventions are a great foundation to a new startup – but they need to be protected or else the startup can end up [...]
California-based Star Fabrics has officially filed a lawsuit against multiple retailers, included Sears Holdings Corp, for selling copyright protected fabrics and patterns. The lawsuits revolves around specific designs which Star Fabrics asserts are protected and names Sears and three designers as being involved in the illegal sales and distribution of those designs. This lawsuit names [...]
With every new business enterprise or venture, plans are constantly revised, changed, modified, and sometimes even completely scrapped in favor of a fresh start. There is no way to avoid mistakes. But when mistakes involve intellectual property matters, it can leave a lasting mark on a young startup that can be difficult to overcome. Although start-ups are [...]
