Author Archives: mwillee

Last week on the Traklight on Forbes series, we shared an interview with Valcu Inc.’s founder and the importance of Disrupting the Legal Industry. Thanks for reading!

Trademarks that aren’t inherently distinctive, like descriptive trademarks, must have secondary meaning to be protected under US Intellectual Property Laws. Secondary meaning occurs when the particular trademark transcends public awareness such that people, in general, don’t associate it with the product category, but with the actual specific company/brand. For example, most people associate Apple with theContinue reading “How to Acquire Secondary Meaning for Your Trademark”

In today’s increasingly interconnected world, data security is as great of a concern as it has ever been. Even since an enterprising Ferris Bueller altered his attendance records to afford himself a day off, hacking has become far less farcical and far more malicious. From personal information to financial data, seemingly nothing is safe fromContinue reading “Sony’s Copyrighted Material Leaked, Possibly by North Koreans”

I know it can be annoying or often downright difficult to figure out what is fair use and what is not fair use of copyrighted material, but that never means it is 100% free to distribute or even rebrand it as your own. If you think about it, adhering to the rules of protected intellectualContinue reading “From #Instagood to #Instabad and Back to #Instagood Again”

As a startup, you may have limited resources; if you do not, great for you! However, it does not change the approach to your startup from the beginning. Planning and being methodical about your first business steps may seem counterintuitive to what you hear about the startup world. Often the end goal for startups is toContinue reading “Time Is Money: Startups Race Too Fast”

Specializing in intellectual property (IP), we often come in contact with people who know they have something unique to protect, but aren’t entirely sure what that is. Cornell University School of Law defines intellectual property as “any product of the human intellect that the law protects from unauthorized use by others.” That definition is accurate, fine, andContinue reading “What is IP for a creative type?”

Unless you’re fortunate enough to live in an area that is always temperate, you’ll reach a point in the year where you’re grateful for the modern marvel that is climate control. That’s especially true here in the valley, where I dare say there’s no better feeling than stepping from a blistering 110-degree heat into theContinue reading “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s…Thermostat Patent? | Allure Energy’s IP”

You know you need to protect your intellectual property (IP), but how should you go about creating an IP strategy? To help you get started, here are three common mistakes made when creating an IP strategy that you should avoid:

The wide world of intellectual property (IP) can seem a little convoluted and hard to navigate. You hear from one source it’s not a big deal and you can wait on it (we do not agree!), and then from another that it’s one of the most important things to factor in as you start yourContinue reading “Hitting 10 Common IP Myths Like a Wrecking Ball”

For any athlete looking to achieve global stardom, Michael Jordan stands as the gold standard. In addition to his legacy as the greatest basketball player of all time, he remains a global brand years after his retirement from the game. During his playing career, he starred in television and print ads for countless products, andContinue reading “Grand Jeté to Grand Jury | Jordan Trademark Jeopardized”