IP Now

Shopping Your Idea to Investors? Be Sure to Protect Your IP

For entrepreneurs, shopping an idea to investors can be an exciting step toward seeing a creation come to market. Unfortunately, investor presentations can also carry the risk that your intellectual property will be co-opted, adapted, or outright stolen. Luckily, there are legal mechanisms for protecting inventors from such risks. Inventors across Orange County trust the …

Continue reading “Shopping Your Idea to Investors? Be Sure to Protect Your IP”

Copyright, Patents, and Trademarks: The Basics

The economy of California has always been greatly dependent upon the ideas of inventors and entrepreneurs. Entertainment, technology, fashion, and many other industries are dependent upon new ideas. These ideas are intellectual property. Their owners have legal property rights in them, and it is important for these property rights to be protected. For decades, inventors …

Continue reading “Copyright, Patents, and Trademarks: The Basics”

Workplace Sexual Harassment: Were you the Victim of Hostile Work Environment Harassment?

Perhaps never before has American workplace sexual harassment been scrutinized as closely as it has in the past several years. New discussion forums, protest marches, and support groups have brought to light terrible workplace conduct that had been hidden for years. It is important for all employees across America to realize that they have the …

Continue reading “Workplace Sexual Harassment: Were you the Victim of Hostile Work Environment Harassment?”

Should You License Your Trademark?

When you registered a trademark for your brand, you likely did so to prevent others from misusing it and misleading consumers. So why do so many companies give others permission to use their trademark by issuing a trademark license? If the situation is right, licensing your trademark can be beneficial and lucrative, and the following …

Continue reading “Should You License Your Trademark?”

IP Concerns for Startups

Many new and up-and-coming companies want to share their new goods, services, or technology with the world. However, there are mistakes that startups can make that can put their intellectual property at risk. For this reason, each startup should have a carefully considered intellectual property strategy tailored to your company’s goals and industry. Startup owners …

Continue reading “IP Concerns for Startups”

The Benefits of Obtaining a Provisional Patent

When you come up with the design for a new invention, the last thing you want to risk is someone else using your design to get the invention on the market. For this reason, you should seek a patent as soon as possible to protect your ownership of your intellectual property. Time is of the …

Continue reading “The Benefits of Obtaining a Provisional Patent”

Types of Workplace Discrimination

While businesses in California can make employment decision at will and with little to no explanation, both state and federal laws prohibit an employer from discriminating against employees or applicants based on certain factors. Workplace discrimination comes in different forms, and each situation is unique. If you believe you were the victim of unlawful employment …

Continue reading “Types of Workplace Discrimination”

California Quid Pro Quo Harassment FAQ

What is Quid Pro Quo Harassment? Quid pro harassment is a specific type of workplace sexual harassment that occurs when an employer conditions certain employment-related decisions upon the performance of sexual favors. Quid pro quo harassment can only occur if the person suggesting the exchange is a supervisor of the employee at whom the harassment …

Continue reading “California Quid Pro Quo Harassment FAQ”

What is Trade Secret Protection?

There are different types of legal protections for the intellectual property (IP) of California business owners. Choosing the most effective protection for your IP is critical, as the very success of your business can be on the line if certain information is misappropriated. Many companies choose to protect sensitive information as trade secrets. California adopted …

Continue reading “What is Trade Secret Protection?”

You Got Your Patent, Now What?

Congratulations! You’ve received a Notice of Allowance from the United States Patent and Trademark Office, a task which you appreciate is no easy feat. Now that you are someone who can proudly say, “I have a U.S. patent,” you should know there are other requirements for you to complete in order to fully maintain and …

Continue reading “You Got Your Patent, Now What?”

WHAT ARE SMART CONTRACTS?

The most interesting application of the blockchain after cryptocurrencies lies in the idea of Smart Contracts, aka self-executing contracts, which are contracts between two or more parties, in which the terms and conditions of the smart contract can be set to trigger one clause if the pre-requisite for triggering that particular clause has been met. …

Continue reading “WHAT ARE SMART CONTRACTS?”

6 Steps for Protecting Trade Secrets

Trade secrets vary among industries, but regardless of whether the secret is a formula, a blueprint, a database, or something else entirely, it is critical to the success of your business. Without the metaphorical (or sometimes literal) secret ingredients, you will lose your competitive edge. It is imperative that you take the proper steps to …

Continue reading “6 Steps for Protecting Trade Secrets”