Plant varieties can be protected by patents, PVPAs, and/or trademarks.

You've got a trademark for your brand. Now how do you protect your domain names, social media account, and other online assets?

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

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

Sale of counterfeit goods remains widespread on online marketplaces like AliBaba, eBay, Etsy and Amazon. But brand owners are increasingly concerned about a related and, in some ways, more intractable problem: the unauthorized distribution of genuine merchandise. Policing knock offs may feel like a Sisyphean endeavor, with a new counterfeiter popping up the moment another is shut down in an endless game of ecommerce Whack-a-Mole. But it can be done. The bigger platforms typ

Lawyers are a drag. They can be condescending, unresponsive and in general a hassle to deal with. Above all, they’re expensive. It’s no wonder then that, when it comes to something as seemingly straightforward as registering their trademark, many start-ups and small businesses choose to go it alone. This option has become more attractive than ever thanks to online services like LegalZoom, which will help fill out forms and provide additional guidance. You can’t file someo

Many start-ups and small businesses are vaguely aware that they’re supposed to register their trademarks, but they’re not sure what exactly a trademark registration gets them. First, in the interests of not overselling, let’s acknowledge that trademarks are more important to some businesses than to others. Branding plays a different role in different industries. A trademark registration might be an essential, invaluable asset to one company, while another company might thriv