Trademarks are symbols or text that uniquely associated with the source of the goods or services. This is generally referred to as a brand name. If it is just a clever saying, it is not a trademark. A phrase can be a trademark, e.g., "I can't believe it's not butter," because it... View More

The examples of singing or a podcast do not seem to service mark specimens. Service marks are generally brand names used in promoting a service. The specimen should demonstrate this promotion. You can see tutorial material at www.uspto.gov. Here, there may be great difficulty in pursuing a service... View More

There are fairly well-defined methods for deciding whether someone is an independent contractor or an employee. It sounds like you used a checklist. That is helpful but not may not be binding. IRS has "Publications" which address many issues in detail. It seems as though you need help.... View More

This is a rather open-ended question. Many corporations use an office services address or a home address. IRS has rules regarding whether you can deduct expenses of a home office. USCIS has rules about whether your business plan justifies a visa. There are different rules for different visas, e.g.,... View More

I think Mr. Dorfman's answer is excellent.

Are you sure this is a copyright question? What are they threatening to sue you for? What were doing inside their house with a minor without their consent? All of the facts must be spelled out in detail. How do you know it was harmless? That may not be for you to decide. You could potentially have... View More

More facts are needed to address the question. These include how each party is using the words. The basic standard is whether or not use of your trademark will cause a likelihood of confusion in the marketplace as to the source of the goods or services. The question assumes that "Good To... View More

It is possible for a builder of a prototype to be fully liable.

How would the person be injured? By using it? By walking past your shop? Are you aware of precautions you could take?

How much money will you put at risk? Consulting an attorney would probably cost a lot less.... View More

Trademark registration applications require applicants to select whether or not they want to register the name apart from the logo. You would probably need to ask an attorney what difference the selection makes. See tutorial material at www.uspto.gov.

Trademarks are "good" if they are uniquely associated with the source of goods and services. The trademark should be owned by the entity that is using it. Trademarks and LLCs are forms of property. A divorce property settlement can determine who will own different pieces of property. An... View More

If you are doing this as a hobby, there is a possibility that this might not matter. If you are going to invest money in a new business, it is likely that consulting an attorney would be a good idea. The few facts given in the question seem to indicate that there may be issues involved in addition... View More

To fall under the scope of the lemon law, a car must be a lemon. The general idea is that a car is a lemon if it cannot be fixed with a reasonable degree of effort. The actual definition of a lemon in the lemon law is complicated. If the car can be repaired in one servicing, it may well not be a... View More

Often in the case of a merger, the employees are not your own anymore. They are employees of the merged company. Before the merger, you need to work out (in writing) what the responsibilities of each officer will be.

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"Looking for some advice from a copyright lawyer that I can potentially stake my life on." Did you want this for free? Did you want an answer that was short enough to fit in this box? Did you want the attorney to answer this without getting further information? It is possible that your... View More

This is generally not done without an attorney. However, there is a good deal of tutorial information at www.uspto.gov.

See disclaimer at the bottom of this page.

The question seems to include a contradiction. If a helmet is designed to simulate another helmet, it is not totally custom. One element that may be considered in a copyright infringement analysis is whether the new work contains elements of originality of the first work. If someone wants to take... View More

You have to decide how you want to do business. The developer could be worried that you may not want to take delivery and pay after he spends the time and effort to do the development.

The legal issues need to be addressed by an attorney.

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There appears to be an assumption here that copying is fair use if it is done for educational purposes. Many times when a copier assumes that a use is fair, the use is not fair. Copying is copying. There are rules for determining if copying is a fair use. Many copyright proprietors charge a lower... View More

It depends on how different the services are. The standard is whether there will be a likelihood of confusion in the market place as to the source of the services. Even if the services are different, they could be sufficiently related to cause a likelihood of confusion. Do the two services have... View More

"Special" status is granted in a limited number of situations. Patent prosecution may take under a year. Special status is granted to inventors who are over 65 years of age. There is also a pilot program in which expedited status is granted for a payment of $4,000 upon filing.