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.
Category: Intellectual Property
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...
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...
Taming The Wild West Of NFTs And Other New Tech With Tried And True Legal Tactics
Frederic Remington made a name for himself in the art world by capturing the spirit of the wild west in his sculptures and paintings. Even if you aren’t familiar with his name, you have probably seen a copy of one of his works hanging on a steakhouse wall here in South Florida.
Can I Patent That?
Article I, Section 8, Clause 8, of the United States Constitution gives Congress the power “To promote the progress of science and useful arts, by securing for limited times to authors and inventors the exclusive right to their respective writings and discoveries.” This single sentence helped make America the innovation capital of the...
Is The Rose Bowl Still The Rose Bowl If It Is Not Held In The Rose Bowl?
Before the pandemic hit, could anyone imagine the Rose Bowl being hosted anywhere other than Pasadena? Trademark litigation between the city and the Tournament of Roses Association suggests the people and organizations responsible for the long-standing New Year’s Day tradition never imagined they would actually be in such a position.
New Administration and New Law for the USPTO
The Greek philosopher Heraclitus noted, “The only constant in life is change.” Right now, this could be the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) motto. In addition to getting new leaders, the USPTO has been tasked by Congress with updating some of its core functions.
What New Leadership...