Intellectual Property

Mario and Licenses: Do You Really Own Your Video Games?

When you walk into a store and buy an apple, you own the apple. When you walk into a store and buy a TV, you own the TV. When you buy a PlayStation, an Xbox, or a Nintendo Switch, you…

Trademark Licensing and Franchising in Tennessee

Intellectual Property Trademark

Trademark licensing and franchising offer opportunities for business expansion and brand recognition, but they also come with complex legal considerations, particularly in Tennessee. Understanding the legal aspects of these arrangements is crucial for both licensors and licensees. Trademark Licensing Trademark…

A Quick Guide to Protecting Your Brand in North Carolina

Intellectual Property Trademark

Trademarks are an essential part of protecting your intellectual property and ensuring the uniqueness and identity of your brand. Whether you’re a business owner, a creative individual, or simply interested in the legal aspects of trademarks, this is a quick…

AI-Generated Music: Navigating Copyright Challenges

Copyright protection refers to “an original work of authorship fixed in a tangible medium in expression.” So, what does this mean? When someone creates something new that took significant mental effort to create, it becomes their intellectual property. In turn,…

Plex, Handbrake, and Pirate Bay: “If I bought a Copy I Can Do Whatever I Want to With It!”

In the age of digital content creation and sharing, though its origins are more “foundational”, it’s essential to understand the concept of fair use. Fair use was introduced in Folsom v. Marsh (Where twelve volumes of George Washington’s public and private letters,…

The Unprecedented Interplay Between “NIL” Rights and Intellectual Property Rights

Intellectual Property

Name, image, and likeness (“NIL”) rights refer to the rights that individuals, like athletes, celebrities, or public figures, have to control and make money from the commercial use of their name, image, and personal brand. It allows them to benefit…

Can You Protect Your Family Recipes with Intellectual Property Laws?

Your great-grandmother’s rum cake. An old family friend’s unbeatable chocolate chip cookie recipe. Maybe even your little cousin’s signature slime concoction (which, no, she definitely should not try to eat). They’re all treasured recipes and they’re all worth protecting, but…

Trademarking Colors: The Significance of Tiffany Blue, Reese’s Orange, and Christian Louboutin’s Red Bottoms

Intellectual Property Trademark

Tiffany Blue, Reese’s orange, Cadbury purple, Starbucks green, Barbie pink, UPS brown and Carolina blue — what do these unique colors have in common? Besides national recognition and association with their respective brands, they are registered under federal trademark law.…

How Do I Know If I’m Infringing on Someone Else’s Trademark?

Trademark

If you’ve already invested money into putting your business’s name on a sign, t-shirts, or other materials, one of the worst things you can find is another business using a similar name. If that other business has been using the…

The Importance of Trademarks in Business Planning

Trademark

Planning Ahead Saves Time & Money You’re moving into your new house or apartment, and you’ve just bought a new dresser from IKEA that you must assemble. You take the box home, and you pull out the parts. You start…

Selecting A Good Trademark

Trademark

If you’re just starting a business, one of the most important things you can do is decide on a name (trademark) that offers as much protection as possible. A trademark is a “word, name, symbol, device, or other designation that…

North Carolina Anti Patent Troll Laws

Patents

What are Patent Trolls? A “Patent Troll” is a derogatory term used for a “non-operating entities” that make bad faith assertions of patent infringement. What makes an entity a “non-operating entity” is whether that entity applies the patented invention to…