Month: February 2019

3 Potential Pitfalls of the “Intent-to-Use” Trademark Application

Blindfolded african businesswoman walking to cliff edge

{5 minutes to read} When you file a trademark application in the US, you must include a basis for the filing. Two of the more popular bases are (1) current use in commerce; and (2) an “intent to use” the mark in commerce in the future. The “intent to use” (ITU) application can be an important tool for protecting a company’s intellectual property. Oftentimes a company develops the name of a product or service well before it’s ready to launch...

Timing of Registration in a Copyright Dispute

By Kelly Weiner

Flat lay with calendar, smartphone, cup of coffee and sticky notes isolated on white

The Supreme Court Clarifies the Importance of Timing When Registering Original Works {2 minutes to read} A copyright is the exclusive legal right to reproduce, publish, sell, or distribute an original work of authorship, such as a photograph, song, book, work of art, etc. The copyright attaches upon the creation of the work. You don’t need a registration certificate to claim rights to a work. So, why bother registering the work with the US Copyright Office? Enforcement. The Copyright Act...