I love intellectual property. I study law so reading about the changing legal landscape over generations is of some interest to me. Studying the evolution of rights, from being afforded only to tangible objects, to their extension to include intangible assets, has been inspiring. But every once in a while you hear about the misuse of the system that just makes your blood boil. I was following such an episode. Thankfully, this story has a happy ending but it having to be a story at all bothers me.
Traker BBQ
We recently got the Traklight team together for a Traker BBQ to celebrate all our hard work over the past year. Unfortunately, not all of our Trakers could make it, as we have a couple in some far away places (specifically Montana and Pennsylvania). So in an effort to try to include everyone, Becky (our Montana Traker) graciously shared her infamous Spinach and Artichoke Dip – the recipe for which she agreed to share with all of you. Mind you, this is her intellectual property (based off a CPK recipe). 😉
Trademark Disputes: Now Playing At Your Local Redbox
If you’ve ever rented a movie from Redbox, you have likely seen some choices that bear a suspicious resemblance to films currently playing in theaters. For example, last holiday season, many Redbox kiosks offered a movie called “Age of the Hobbits” at the same time Peter Jackson’s “The Hobbit” was in theaters.
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Wheels on the Bus
I really could not resist the title. You probably thought it would be about kids on a bus rolling down the road and signing a song. This is all about who you let on your bus and how you work with them when they are on the bus. Your company culture, not to mention performance, will be defined and molded by how you do both.
Copyrights, Trolls, and Your Rights
Why Marketers Should Care About Intellectual Property
This is a guest blog by Sharon Toerek, an intellectual property and marketing law attorney with a national practice based in Cleveland. She is also the publisher of the marketing industry legal blog Legal + Creative.
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Leadership and Teenagers
Fresh off a vacation with four teenagers all I can think about is how it relates to leading a company. Family travel is always a challenge; toss in hormones and stepsibling rivalry with a three-hour time difference and tensions understandably rise…some of the very same tensions left behind at the office.
Meet Jill, our COO…
It’s been said many a time that Jill’s energy is the life of the office. Well, maybe it hasn’t been explicitly stated that way, but I can assure you everyone would agree with that sentiment. Her passion for IP is contagious, and her stellar leadership of our Traker team is undeniable. So here’s a few fun facts about Jill:
IP And the Most Wonderful Time Of The Year?!
College football bowl week is often referred to as the “most wonderful time of the year!” I couldn’t agree more with this statement. I love college football, which includes memories of crisp autumn days, unwavering traditions and college bands. Who would think in the middle of all of this is an intellectual property story?
Let me introduce you to John Antonio and Helen Weaver of Henderson Advertising. In 1970, they were hired to create a new logo for the Clemson Tigers. After reviewing several logos from various teams with a tiger mascot, he noticed that all were some form of the tiger. John decided to do something different. He requested the mold of a Bengal Tiger from the Field Museum of Natural History in Chicago. The mold was sent to Henderson who then created a picture, tilting the image to the right. So what’s the big deal? We see pitchforks and other assortments of logos on helmets. In 1970, it was unusual to have any logo on a college helmet. However, when Antonio showed the Clemson helmet sporting the paw print, the Bengal Tiger Paw Print became the new logo.
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A Reflection on 2013
Gut Feel: Ignore at Your Own Peril