Law

Beyonce Filed Application to Register Blue Ivy Carter's Name with USPTO

Beyoncé has filed an application to register her 5-year old daughter Blue Ivy Carter’s name with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (“USPTO”) for use on everything from hair care to clothing, mobile devices and video games, among a number of other classes of goods. In 2012, shortly after Blue Ivy’s birth, Beyoncé and husband…

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I Freaking Love Grammar (in law)

The absence of an “Oxford comma” also known as a “serial comma” in a law made the difference for drivers in a labor dispute for overtime pay.  Yes, a comma!  The Oxford comma is a comma between the second to last and the last item in a list in a sentence.  Here is an example:…

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How to Avoid Drive-By Lawsuits Based on ADA

If you own a business that is open to the public, you need to know how to avoid drive-by lawsuits.  In the last decade or so, there has been an increase in litigation based on the Americans with Disabilities Act, also known as ADA[1].  The ADA and corresponding California Unruh Act[2] require compliance with certain…

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Facebook Divorces

In recent years, with the surge in the use of social media platforms such as Facebook, Snapchat and Instagram, married people’s activities on these sites have either become the cause of divorce or been used as evidence in divorce cases. A study published in the Journal of Cyberpsychology, Behavior and Social Networking, found that people…

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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…

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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…

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