Is Margiela Purposely Playing with Burberry’s Fire?

Burberry is well known for fiercely protecting its Brand. No later than last year, the company filed a lawsuit against the rapper and producer Perry Noise, Aka “Burberry Perry.” Noise was not only using the protected word mark “Burberry”, but also the federally registered check pattern and equestrian trademark in connection with his album, online marketing…

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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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New Inventions: Flying Cars

In light of recent technological breakthroughs, flying cars could have their debut in the commercial market in 10 years and be in wide use in less than 20 years.  After being the subject of science fiction and fantasy for a century, flying cars are finally coming of age. Dr. Dariush Adli, President of the renowned…

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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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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…

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How Should Trump Pick the Next Supreme Court Justice?

One of the most hotly debated issues in the recent Presidential election was filling the Supreme Court vacancy created by the sudden death of Justice Antonin Scalia earlier this year.  During the campaign, candidate Trump promised to fill the vacancy with a jurist that is close in judicial philosophy to the late Justice Antonin Scalia. …

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