The emerging U.S. cannabis industry has a trademark problem. Since at least 2011, it has been the policy of the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office to reject any and all applications to register trademarks used for marijuana, sale of marijuana or any other goods or services thought to violate the federal Controlled Substances Act. Even trademarks for tangential and seemingly legal goods or services are likely to receive increased scrutiny from and may be rejected by the USPTO i

Most of us don’t think twice about sharing a news article on our Facebook timelines, re-posting a cat gif to our Tumblr blogs or pinning a scarf or cupcake photo to our Pinterest boards. And, indeed, under current interpretations of U.S. copyright law, you can often get away with publishing or republishing creative content online without the author’s permission. Usually, however, it’s not for the reasons people think. The line separating lawful republication of online conten

In financial disclosure documents filed during the election, Donald Trump claimed his personal wealth exceeded $10 billion. Forbes put the number closer to $3.5 billion. Much of the discrepancy can be attributed to a particular set of assets: the president’s trademarks. Whether you go by Trump’s own assertions or by more truth-sensitive metrics, however, few doubt the substantial value of his trademark portfolio (and the opaque licensing deals related thereto). Trump put the