Dr. Dariush Adli
Countering Unauthorized Postings on the Internet
The internet has provided owners of intellectual property with virtually instantaneous and unlimited access to vast new markets and opportunities. On the other hand, the new medium has provided opportunities for copycats to make unauthorized use of others’ intellectual property works. The Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) provides a legal and procedural framework and mechanism…
Goodwill
Goodwill is a familiar term that most of us have heard and read about, and believe that we have a basic understanding of. Despite its familiarity, few business owners have a clear sense of what the term means or understand its application and legal implications for their businesses. There is probably good reason for this…
How Much Is A Patent Worth?
You are an inventor and are thinking about obtaining patent protection for your invention. You understand that patents are a form of legally recognized property, known as intellectual property, and that they can be very valuable. But you are also well aware that obtaining patent protection will cost money. How do you determine the potential…
Importance of “Boilerplate” Terms in Contracts
The term “boilerplate” in contracts is often used to refer to miscellaneous terms and provisions, which don’t concern the main terms and conditions of the agreement. For that reason, boilerplate provisions are often ignored or given short shrift by parties to contracts. This is a mistake because boilerplate terms can be critical to resolution of…
Strengthening Protection for Your Ideas Through Overlapping IP
Most business owners are generally aware of intellectual property and the legal protections it affords to different aspects of their business. However, in my encounters with the business community I am often surprised that most businesses, especially small and startups, are unaware of the power of overlapping IP to strengthen and enhance protection for their…
Intellectual Property
Briefly, the term intellectual property is an umbrella of rights that include patents (utility and design), trademarks (trade name, logo or trade dress), and copyrights. Patents afford protection for ideas that are useful, novel and non-obvious. There are typically three types of patents that concern most businesses; utility patents, which protect the use, function and…
Homemade Inventions Deserve Patents, Too
Some people still believe that patents can only be issued for exotic and high-tech inventions. However, U.S. patent law does not require that a new device, product or process resemble something from a science fiction movie; a useful modification or improvement of an existing device may also be worthy of patent protection. A patentable device…
The Legal Profession Prepares for President Trump
There is palpable sense of anxiety and confusion among lawyers and legal scholars on how to respond to the new political order, as the President Trump is sworn in and his administration prepares to begin its work. Many lawyers, who took an active role during the campaign in opposition to candidate Trump, have chosen to…
The DTSA
In the most consequential Intellectual Property development of 2016, the Federal government has enacted a brand new federal trade secrets law, known as Defend Trade Secrets Act (DTSA). This means that now all four branches of Intellectual Property (Patent, Trademark, Copyright, and Trade Secrets) are protected under Federal law and can be brought in Federal…