Trademark Basics Trademark law is often subdivided into trademarks, service marks, trade dress and trade names, although all have some features in common. Trademarks are words, symbols, phrases or designs, or combinations of these that distinguish the source of goods of one person from those of another (such as the famous Coca-Cola script lettering over […]
Trade Secret Basics
- Business
Trade Secret Basics Trade secrets law evolved from a common-law understanding that things like customer lists, specialized knowledge or processes were part of the goodwill of a company. Many states have enacted versions of the Uniform Trade Secrets Act, which has been held to supersede certain common law understandings. Trade secrets generally are defined as […]
Intellectual Property Overview
- Business
Intellectual Property Overview In 1988, Ashton-Tate filed a lawsuit against Fox Software claiming that FoxBase unlawfully mimicked the look and feel of Ashton-Tate’s dBaseIII. In 1991, Phillip Morris took out a full-page ad in the Wall Street Journal that depicted the logos of its brands of cigarettes. Under the logos was a warning: “If you’re […]
Differences between Litigation, Arbitration and Mediation
- Litigation
Differences between Litigation, Arbitration and Mediation Litigation Litigation is broadly defined as “to carry on a legal contest by judicial process” (Webster’s Ninth New Collegiate Dictionary, p. 698 (Merriam Webster 1988.) The typical process under which disputes are resolved is through a lawsuit, and while every lawsuit will have its own special characteristics, most lawsuits […]
About Credit Counseling Advertisers
- Bankruptcy
About Credit Counseling Advertisers The media bombards you with ads from debt counseling agencies telling you to consolidate or reduce your debt without resorting to bankruptcy. The FTC warns people to be wary of many of these companies that promise to remove debt for pennies on the dollar. Most cannot and the consumers are the […]
