Last week, I came across an article that reported on a number of trademark applications filed by the family of Trayvon Martin. A quick search of the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office’s database reveals four trademark applications.  Of these four applications, two list Mr. Martin’s mother Sabrina Fulton as the mark owner.  Martin Joseph Markley,…

Many people approach me with their new business concept and want to prevent others from copying their model. While non-disclosure agreements and trade secret laws provide some degree of protection, at least early on, it is practically impossible to prevent competition. I came across an article in the Westword from last March that perfectly illustrates…

The other week I was exchanging emails with a client regarding trademark registration.  The client obviously wanted to prevent another party from using their mark, or a mark that could be interpreted as being confusingly similar to their mark. In counseling the client, I advised that they already had common law trademark rights to their…

Last week I read a blurb about CloudOn’s new Microsoft Office app for iPad. I tested it over the weekend and really liked it. Unless you are making use of the Citrix app, or some other similar app, CloudOn’s product seems to be the most robust Microsoft Office app for iPad on the market. Previously,…

Tomorrow is a big day for the internet as the Internet Corporation for the Assignment of Names and Numbers (ICANN) opens the possibility of an unlimited variety of internet domain names.  And, while the application window opens tomorrow, the consequences of this expansion of internet domain availability will not likely be known at least until…

Earlier this afternoon, I and many alumni of the University of Denver received an email from DU Chancellor Robert D. Coombe regarding a recent editorial in the Denver Post, here.  The issue: the ongoing process to find a new name for Metro State College, located here in Denver.  Metro State is motivated to change it’s…

While my primary practice is Intellectual Property law, I have reviewed and negotiated commercial leases on behalf of several clients. When discussing a lease with my clients, I make sure that the client understands whether and how Common Area Maintenance Charges, or “CAM”, charges are assessed. CAM charges function in a similar manner to an…

Recently, copyright termination rights have been in the press in the context of major musicians seeking to reclaim their copyrights from record companies. For an overview of the issue in the recording industry, please read this article by Larry Rother with the New York Times, here. However, the option to terminate copyright assignments and licenses…

If you own a trademark, start preparing for ICANN’s near-unlimited gTLD application process, which begins January 12, 2012. While not all trademark owners will be applying for one of the newly available, near-unlimited general top-level domains, if you own a trademark and market your product or service on the internet, this post will provide some…