Dr. Dariush Adli
Who’s An Employee? The Impact of Dynamex, Daily Journal (July 2, 2018)
In an article for the Daily Journal, Dr. Dariush Adli examines the landmark decision, where the California Supreme Court changed the standard for designating employees as independent contractors, making it much more difficult to classify employees as independent contractors. The article discusses the implications of the decision on California’s Gig economy as well the potential…
Should Musical Works be Entitled to ‘Broad’ or ‘Thin’ Copyright Protection?, The Recorder (June 12, 2018)
In an article for The Recorder, Dr. Dariush Adli examines the hotly disputed legal issue between the majority and dissent in the recent, highly publicized, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit “Blurred Lines” decision. That decision weighed in on whether Marvin Gaye’s 1976 hit song “Got to Give it Up” was entitled to…
Amazon patents blur human-robot lines
Amazon’s recent success in obtaining two U.S. patents (9,881,276 and 9,881,277) for wristbands, capable of controlling employees’ hands and directing their actions, has raised fundamental legal and even constitutional questions about government authority to authorize and enforce inventions. Thus, potentially redefining the relationship between humans and technology by effectively treating people as robots. The looming…
Amazon Wristband Patents Blur Human-Robot Line, Daily Journal (April 18, 2018)
In an article for the Daily Journal, Dr. Dariush Adli discusses Amazon’s three patents relating to the control of human wrist movements. The patents are directed to controlling the movement of workers by making it faster and easier for workers in the fulfillment centers to accurately locate the bins in which ordered items are stored…
What is the ‘Right of Publicity”?
Most people have heard of well-known categories of intellectual property law such as trademark or copyright, but there is another type that you might not know, and all of us own one – the right of publicity. Don’t be misled by the word “publicity”; this right does not require you to be a celebrity pursued…
Homemade Inventions Deserve Patents, Too
In my many encounters with inventors around the country, I find that many believe that patents may only be issued for completely new inventions. However, U.S. patent law does not require that a new product or process to resemble something from a science fiction movie; a useful modification or improvement of an existing device or…
Using Patents to Establish Brand
Small businesses and especially startups are often well aware of what a patent can accomplish for their businesses; provide a legal monopoly for their inventions for a period of time. And yet, the effects of a patent can go beyond protection of an invention and can include helping establish a strong brand for the business,…
Dispute Resolution Strategies
There are four common approaches to settling legal disputes: Direct Negotiation; Mediation; Arbitration and Litigation. Which one is right for you? Direct Negotiation: Works best in instances where the dispute is of fairly minor character and small in dollar amount, or where the disputing parties have an ongoing relationship that they don’t want to disrupt. …
Business Entity Structures
Everyone has probably noticed that companies’ names often end in abbreviations such as “Inc.”, “LP”, “LLC”, “Corp.”, etc., but many people have only a vague idea what these designations actually mean. Yet, if you want to start a new company, choosing the form of that company is a fundamental and consequential decision that is best…
Protecting Jewelry Designs
Sales of Jewelry have been soaring over the past decade, with worldwide sales in 2016 totaling over US$300 billion dollars. Helped by instant world-wide access provided by Social Media, many jewelry designers have found themselves on the short end of the stick when their designs are pilfered. This article addresses various intellectual property tools that…