Client Resources

Protecting Intellectual Property

Protecting Company Trade Secrets

Trade secrets are valuable Intellectual Property. Make sure they are properly safe guarded. Follow the rules to make sure confidential information remains secure.

How safe are your company trade secrets?

Do you treat your confidential information as company secrets? If not, it will be hard to protect your brand and business from theft of trade secrets.

Trade Dress as a Trademark

Trademark registration is available for more than words and logos. Don’t overlook trade dress. It’s also valuable Intellectual Property.

Intellectual Property and Brand Valuation

Intellectual property valuation is an estimate of the value of a business including tangible (cash, real property) and intangible assets (IP, branding). Learn the basics.

Six Steps to Creating a Valuable Brand

There are six steps to build a valuable brand, Investigate the market place, select wisely, register with a plan, establish and monitor proper use, & enforce rights

How to Hire a Trademark Attorney

 

Los Angeles trademark attorney

Ten Things to Ask Before You Hire a Trademark Attorney (Part 1)

For most people, finding and hiring the right attorney can be daunting. When it comes to identifying a trusted trademark attorney to guide your brand in the global marketplace, the task can be even more daunting, and the wrong choice can be costly.  In Part 1 of two parts, we explore the first five things you need to know.

Ten Things to Ask Before You Hire a Trademark Attorney (Part 2)

The following questions are a helpful guide to your needs and who can best meet those needs, while being cost-efficient and accessible.  A detailed discussion of each follows below. 6.  Do you need a global expert for an online business or for dealing with counterfeit goods? 7.  Are foreign costs monitored and reasonable, and will your attorney do the work instead of a junior paralegal?  Read more

Trademark Selection

5 Choices for a Trademark-Two are Really Bad.

Learn about the types of marks and why two of them make bad choices as a brand name or trademark

How to Choose a Good Trademark

Trademark lawyers Bill Finkelstein & Cheryl Hodgson share what makes for a good trademark. You want the mark to be memorable and distinctive.

A Strong Trademark is Memorable, and Never Descriptive

Los Angeles Trademark Attorney Cheryl Hodgson speaks to a group of winery owners in Paso Robles. In this video, Cheryl shares how to choose a great trademark. And, why it’s so important to choose a good one.

Why Are Pepsi and Apple Strong Brand Names?

When choosing your own brand names, look to Pepsi and Apple as examples of good trademarks.

A Trademark Search Can Be Important

Understand why a trademark search is important before launching a new product or service.

5 Reasons Your Application with be Rejected

There are common mistakes made in trademark filings. Here are five reasons you might experience rejection.

Maintaining Trademark Rights

 

trademark registration

Proper Use

There is an old expression: “Hung by the tongue,” meaning something is said that one lives to regret. When it comes to trademark use, this saying is particularly true. Trademark owners are required to establish and maintain proper trademark use, including monitoring use of the mark by third parties.

5 Steps Easy Steps to Policing Your Trademark Rights

Trademark owners are required to monitor the market place and “police” their trademark rights. Failure to do so over time will result in a loss of valuable Intellectual Property rights.

Prevent Loss of Rights by Genericide

Genericide is a process whereby a brand name or trademark is transformed through popular usage into a common noun. Aspirin, zipper, escalator, thermos. Legal rights in the trademark are lost.

Top 10 Branding Mistakes

These are the common mistakes made by new brand owners.  Don’t make them in your business.

Trademark Registration Issues

 

Global Trademark - blue chalkboard with female hand and text and world map in the background

Trademark Registration for Your Website

Registration of a URL or a trademark used on a website has become common. However, there are strict rules regarding establishing trademark use. If these rules are not followed, trademark registration will be refused.

Rules for Electronic Displays

The Trademark Office has detailed and exacting requirements which should used to counsel clients before filing an application to register. Without proper use, the application will be refused.

Understanding International Trademark Registration

Are you selling goods or services outside the U.S., including by the Internet? Is an international trademark registration necessary? The process can be confusing. Here are the basics

The Trademark, Domain Name Connection

Clients and marketing professionals believe registration of a domain name is sufficient protection and there is no need to register a trademark or service mark. Los Angeles trademark attorney Cheryl Hodgson explains why domain names are not a substitute for trademark registration.

Domains names are not trademarks

There is often confusion as to the difference between registration of a domain name and a trademark. Domain names are not trademarks unless properly used.

Cyber security for your trademarks in gTLD’s

Cyber security for registered trademarks is now available by registering with the Trademark Clearinghouse. Are your trademarks secure from online thieves?

Protect Trademarks from gTLD poaching

There are hundreds of new generic Top Level Domains. Trademarks are at risk of being poached in the new domain endings. Are your trademarks registered with the Trademark Clearing House?

The Wine Industry Fights against gTLDs for wine

Winemakers from around the globe oppose launch of .wine .vine, two new gTLDs citing concerns over lack of safeguards to protect consumers and winemakers.

How to Trademark Your Name

Trademark attorney Cheryl Hodgson explains whether a company using the name of the owner as its brand name can obtain a federal trademark registration. Cheryl spoke to winery owners from Paso Robles and discussed this issue. Many wineries have a surname as part of the name of the winery

Trademark Registration for Titles

Titles of books, films, or songs do not qualify for trademark registration when used solely to identify the title a single work.  Trademark registration is available for a series of work, workshops or training programs based upon the title, or ancillary goods such clothing or restaurants.

Branded Entertainment

 

entertainment law

 

Trademark Registration for Titles: Beyond Star Wars

Learn how to create trademark rights in titles of films and other entertainment brands

How to Trademark an Artist Name

There are specific rules for how register artist names for sound recordings, as book authors. Here are some of the rules.

Trademarks for Music Groups

The music group ABBA paved the way for a trademark for artist names for music recordings and videos.

Taylor Swift Trademarks And Trademarks for Song Titles

The business media seems fascinated with the Taylor Swift trademarks registration strategy. It’s nothing new. First was “Margueritaville” and “Louie Louie”

Can #Hashtags be Registered as Trademarks?

Trademark registration for a hashtag is possible if the hashtag is used to promoted goods and services, not just as a way to organize content. Learn the rules here.

How to Spot an Internet Domain Bully

Not all domain containing a third party trademark are cybersquatters. Some are innocent domain owners and victims of an Internet Domain Bully. These are also called Roverse Domain Name Hijackers