Mark Twain is best known for penning literary classics like The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and his razor-sharp wit, but few people realize he was also an inventor. He received three patents during his lifetime and used the proceeds from marketing one of them to supplement his income for years.
The Countdown Is On. The Mickey Mouse Copyright Expires In 2024.
Mickey Mouse may be Florida’s most famous resident, but he also has a lot of friends in Washington, DC. Over the past few decades, desperate pleas from Disney have inspired lawmakers to extend copyright protections for Mickey Mouse and other creative works from the 1920s. However, the clock is about to...
Lies, Damned Lies, And Inequitable Conduct
"Let others lie. But let you and me make it the rule to lie for revenue only." This tongue-in-cheek advice from Mark Twain has been taken to heart by some creators who are so eager to capitalize on their ideas they do not hesitate to fudge the paperwork they provide to the...
Potential Patent Waivers For COVID Vaccines Highlight International IP Protections
This spring, President Biden announced that the United States would support waiving intellectual property protections for COVID-19 vaccines in order to quickly get more vaccines to more people around the world. The response to this move has been mixed, which gives us an excellent opportunity to chat a bit about international...
Lomnitzer Law Is Helping South Florida Brands And College Athletes Connect
On July 1, a new Florida law granting college athletes the right to profit off of their names, images, and likenesses went into effect. This new law, combined with new rules from the NCAA and individual institutions, opens the door for sponsorship deals between South Florida businesses and local or nationally...
Trademarking a Sound Is a Sound Business Strategy
The MGM® lion’s roar. The iconic “dun-dun” in episodes of Law & Order. The marimba ringtone that comes as the default ringtone on iPhones. There are certain sounds you can hear in your head just by reading a written description of them.
When you hear them...
4 Tips For Brand Ambassadors Who Have Just Been #Sponsored
There is plenty of advice floating around the internet on how to become an influencer, but there is little guidance on how to protect yourself and sustain your success once you get #sponsored.
Whether you are a social celebrity, Youtuber, Instagrammer, vLogger, brand ambassador, or other social media content...
Winning Streak Turns Tampa Bay Into Champa Bay
During the past year, the Lightning won the Stanley Cup, the Rays made it to the World Series, and the Buccaneers won the Super Bowl. The teams gave all of us in South Florida something to cheer for in the midst of the pandemic. And now they are giving the intellectual property...
5 Things Every Small Business Owner Should Do To Secure Their Intellectual Property
As a small business owner, you likely have a million things on your to-do list. Hopefully one of those things is securing your intellectual property. The Lomnitzer Law team’s decades of experience advising small businesses has taught us that paying some attention to this critical task early on can help set...
USPTO Rushing To Implement The Trademark Modernization Act
As part of the December 2020 COVID-19 relief bill/appropriations act, Congress made significant changes to the law governing trademarks. The new provisions are scheduled to go into effect by December 27, 2021, so the United States Patent and Trademark Office is rushing to implement all the changes. The Lomnitzer Law team...
