Author Archive

The Work For Hire Doctrine Before And After The Copyright Act of 1976

By RKlein at 15 April, 2009, 12:00 am

Imagine you are an inspiring film producer with a terrific idea for a major television mini-series or feature film. In order to pitch your product to the studios or an established producer who can arrange financing, you need a script.

Importing Goods From Abroad Can Infringe On The Intellectual Property Rights of Others

By RKlein at 20 November, 2008, 12:00 am

I recently received a call from a client who complained that the MP3 players they imported from China were seized and confiscate by the Custom Service at the United States border. The reason for the seizure and forfeiture, I was told, was that the MP3 players had software downloaded in the devices and the software amounted to a copyright infringement.

What? Your Trademark is a Color!

By RKlein at 16 November, 2008, 12:00 am

Being a business litigation lawyer in Los Angeles for sometime I often find that people are confused about just what is a trademark. Under the modern definition of the term trademark a trademark is a designation used to identify and distinguish the goods of a person. Thus the role that the designation must play to become a trademark is to identify the source of one sellers goods and distinguish that source from other sources.

Why Your Trademark Might Be Your Most Valuable Asset

By RKlein at 1 November, 2008, 12:00 am

When trying to identify what your most valuable business asset, most people might fail to recognize the value of their goodwill. Goodwill is what makes people return to your company for repeat sales. The greatest symbol of your goodwill is your trademark. Which brings us to define what exactly a trademark is and why is it so valuable.