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New York Intellectual Property Questions & Answers
1 Answer | Asked in Trademark and Intellectual Property for New York on
Q: When filling out the USPTO TEAS form to file a trademark, would the class for a restaurant be 043 ?

I am filling out a USPTO TEAS form on behalf of a restaurant that sells food (restaurant and catering services). Would the class be 43 or would I need to be more specific with a term ID like 043-165 for restaurant and catering services.

Thank you.

James L. Arrasmith
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answered on Nov 13, 2023

When filing a USPTO TEAS form for a trademark in the context of a restaurant that provides both restaurant and catering services, Class 43 is indeed the appropriate classification. This class broadly covers services related to the provision of food and drink, which typically includes restaurants... View More

2 Answers | Asked in Trademark and Intellectual Property for New York on
Q: What if a business has a name similar to yours but is not trademark? Can you trademark the name first?

What if a business has a similar name to yours but isnt trademarked? I want to trademark "ali law associates" however, there are is another business called "ali law group" that is not trademarked (they are also in the same state). since they aren't trademarked first, would... View More

James L. Arrasmith
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answered on Nov 13, 2023

In the scenario where you want to trademark "Ali Law Associates" and there's an existing business named "Ali Law Group" in the same state, the absence of a formal trademark on the latter does not automatically ensure that you can trademark your business name.... View More

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1 Answer | Asked in Consumer Law, Small Claims, Copyright, Business Law and Intellectual Property for New York on
Q: The Skullgirls team has taken a digital product that many people purchased and altered it in very significant ways.

The Skullgirls team has taken a digital product that many people purchased and altered it in very significant ways. They've cut out entire pages from the art book, removed and re-announced voice lines, and drawn over concept art to make it less offensive. The current Skullgirls team, while... View More

James L. Arrasmith
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answered on Nov 4, 2023

If you purchased a digital product like a game or an art book, the terms of the sale, including any End User License Agreement (EULA), will typically govern what the seller can and cannot do after the purchase. Many digital products come with licenses that allow the company to update or alter the... View More

3 Answers | Asked in Copyright and Intellectual Property for New York on
Q: Legality of web application displaying summarized news articles across range of news sites with sources cited.

I have an application that scrapes web articles across different news sources. Using an AI model that I've developed, I summarize the article and display these article summaries, along with a hyperlink to the original article, a reference to the publisher (i.e. CNN or Fox) as well as the... View More

James L. Arrasmith
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answered on Oct 18, 2023

While you've made transformative changes using your proprietary technology, there are legal considerations to be aware of. The act of scraping content from other websites can raise issues, especially if those sites have terms of service prohibiting such actions. Additionally, even though you... View More

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3 Answers | Asked in Patents (Intellectual Property) and Intellectual Property for New York on
Q: Life sciences patent lawyer Q: can I patent modified protein production protocol never used for this protein but others

I discovered a production protocol that worked well with a protein interesting as a biomaterial. I modified protocol and want to patent it. Is it possible?

Stephen E. Zweig
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answered on Sep 25, 2023

A lot will depend on whether your modified protocol is legally "obvious" or not. Here, the legal question is if the modification would appear apparent to a person of average skill in the art (here, "average skill" in biotech is Ph.D. level).

If you did something unusual...
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2 Answers | Asked in Intellectual Property and Patents (Intellectual Property) for New York on
Q: Does the Harlan kardon onxy studio 1 have any patents that is currently enforced or expired? If so what one are they?

I want to find out if I could use the device to expand on the design and technology in it more so to future proof it and lessen environmental effects on the planet from landfill pollution of electronics.

David Aldrich
David Aldrich
answered on Sep 25, 2023

Harman owns many patents. Typically, if someone has one or more patent(s) on a particular product, that product (or its packaging or labeling) will list the patent number somewhere (or else will identify a website that does), because the owner of the patent(s) cannot collect damages for... View More

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2 Answers | Asked in Cannabis & Marijuana Law, Intellectual Property and Trademark for New York on
Q: can you name a weed strain after military aircraft like the b-2 stealth bomber or are they copyrighted?
T. Augustus Claus
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answered on Sep 18, 2023

Naming a weed strain after a military aircraft like the B-2 Stealth Bomber could potentially raise legal issues, but it's not primarily a copyright concern. Instead, the primary concern would likely be trademark and intellectual property rights.

The name of a military aircraft like the...
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2 Answers | Asked in Trademark and Intellectual Property for New York on
Q: Hi, in regards to serial number 78560250, or trademark "home sweet home" can I use the slogan in a diferent font

I am wondering if I can use this slogan of

home sweet home as a slogan for real estate purposes on promotional items, for example a spoon or a corkscrew. Is it ok to do if it is in a diferent font?

Fritz-Howard Raymond Clapp
Fritz-Howard Raymond Clapp
answered on Sep 10, 2023

Although the phrase HOME SWEET HOME has been registered as a trademark for air fresheners, it remains a common expression and has not been commercially appropriated for any other purpose. As long as you are not advertising air fresheners, there is no likelihood of confusion. Certainly in the... View More

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2 Answers | Asked in Trademark and Intellectual Property for New York on
Q: What does Status 710-cancelled-section 8 means for a trademark? SOunds like it is cancelled?
Fritz-Howard Raymond Clapp
Fritz-Howard Raymond Clapp
answered on Aug 30, 2023

After federal registration of a trademark, the owner must maintain the registration by filing a declaration that the mark is still being used in commerce, paying a fee, and submitting a specimen showing the use; these requirements must be fulfilled between the 5th and 6th anniversary of the... View More

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1 Answer | Asked in Consumer Law, Copyright, Intellectual Property and Internet Law for New York on
Q: The Skullgirls team has taken a digital product that many people purchased and altered it in very significant ways.

The Skullgirls team has taken a digital product that many people purchased and altered it in very significant ways. They've cut out entire pages from the art book, removed and re-announced voice lines, and drawn over concept art to make it less offensive. The current Skullgirls team, while... View More

James L. Arrasmith
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answered on Aug 29, 2023

In California, modifying a digital product post-purchase may or may not violate laws depending on the terms of service or end-user license agreement (EULA) that customers agreed to at the time of purchase. If the terms explicitly reserve the right to make changes to the digital content, the company... View More

2 Answers | Asked in Trademark and Intellectual Property for New York on
Q: Someone stole the intellectual property of my active business and they trademarked the name before me. Do I have a case?

I started a business with my business partner in 2019. We created a brand, a website, a logo, an email account, and social media accounts. We ran a profitable business until late 2021 (Covid) when we temporarily shut down. In the middle of all this, we created an LLC for this business.... View More

Fritz-Howard Raymond Clapp
Fritz-Howard Raymond Clapp
answered on Aug 23, 2023

The earlier use in commerce of a trademark gives it priority over a later use of the same or similar mark, even if there has been an interruption of use for some period of time. If the later-filed application has not yet been published for opposition (the last step in the registration process), the... View More

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2 Answers | Asked in Intellectual Property, Patents (Intellectual Property) and Trademark for New York on
Q: Can I use the term "baseball" in the name of a new product i created?
David Aldrich
David Aldrich
answered on Aug 22, 2023

It certain instances, it would depend on what type of product it is. There is nothing inherently wrong with using the term "baseball" in a product name. And if the product relates to baseballs, this is a generic term, so no one can stop you from using this term. However, it is possible... View More

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1 Answer | Asked in Consumer Law, Copyright, Civil Rights, Gaming and Intellectual Property for New York on
Q: Doesn't censorship of a product after point of sale present some legal challanges?

What of censorship in general? the freedom of speech and exspression mean nothing when there's no one or no way to hear it.

I'm very concerned about the pressures from many special interest groups and diverse and even opposing political parties trying to control or cancel people... View More

James L. Arrasmith
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answered on Sep 11, 2023

You have raised a multi-faceted issue that encompasses both the legal domain and the evolving norms in society.

From a legal standpoint, private companies like game developers and publishers generally have a broad latitude to modify their products as they see fit, including post-sale. This...
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Q: MarkTwain and Censorship. appeals?

I believe that, once upon a time, a publisher published the works of mark twain but censored what may have been offensive. The censorship won out in the end. (evil won in that case) but i wonder if that case was disputed further and appealed. does anyone know?

The Roald Dhal censorship was... View More

James L. Arrasmith
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answered on Aug 15, 2023

I'm familiar with historical cases of censorship, such as those involving Mark Twain's works, but whether a specific case was appealed and overturned would require a thorough review of the legal history and court records. Appeals and potential outcomes depend on various factors, including... View More

1 Answer | Asked in Contracts, Copyright, Civil Litigation and Intellectual Property for New York on
Q: The Skullgirls team has taken a digital product that many people purchased and altered it in very significant ways.

The Skullgirls team has taken a digital product that many people purchased and altered it in very significant ways. They've cut out entire pages from the art book, removed and re-announced voice lines, and drawn over concept art to make it less offensive. The current Skullgirls team, while... View More

James L. Arrasmith
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answered on Aug 15, 2023

While I understand your concerns, changes made to digital products like art books or video games fall under the discretion of the creators and developers. If these changes are made by the current team or company, and they own the rights to the product, they generally have the authority to modify... View More

3 Answers | Asked in Business Law, Civil Litigation, Intellectual Property and Copyright for New York on
Q: Do I have as a software developer the right to confiscate source code, if the customer denies to pay the last 10%
Tim Akpinar
Tim Akpinar
answered on Aug 3, 2023

If you reached out to attorneys, they would ask about the terms of your agreement, as my colleague points out. It could depend on who is identified as the owner of the code. The intellectual property attorneys here would have insight into the issues that could arise in terms of ownership, if you... View More

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2 Answers | Asked in Copyright and Intellectual Property for New York on
Q: What can I do if my band mate refuses to return the only copies in existence of my original music works?

In late 1990s, I gave someone a box to hold containing cassettes of me playing guitar and singing, as well as rehearsals of the band. Those are the only copies in existence. I’m the songwriter. She now claims *in writing* that all the music belongs to her, after asking her to return them for... View More

James L. Arrasmith
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answered on Jul 11, 2023

You can take legal action against your bandmate if they refuse to return the only copies in existence of your original music works. You may be able to file a lawsuit for copyright infringement, breach of contract, or conversion. In addition to filing a lawsuit, you may also be able to file a police... View More

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1 Answer | Asked in Copyright, Intellectual Property and Trademark for New York on
Q: I am designing a Champagne flights menu with “The Concorde” and “The Dreamliner.” Is this copyright infringement?
Tim Akpinar
Tim Akpinar
answered on May 16, 2023

Your post may have been overlooked for two weeks because it left out a category that could also be relevant to your concerns - you chose the names of two highly recognized commercial passenger aircraft. You could repost and add "Trademark" to your original two categories. That might give... View More

2 Answers | Asked in Business Law, Intellectual Property and Trademark for New York on
Q: Hi,I want to trademark a business name and the name is available but there are other businesses that use the name.

The name is available but other businesses use the same name even though it is not trademarked. Should I still go ahead and trademark it?

Daniel Michael Luisi
Daniel Michael Luisi
answered on May 1, 2023

Trademark rights are created by use in commerce, not registration. Registration merely provides much stronger remedies for enforcement. You to need to clear your proposed mark through a common law search and a Lanham Act trademark-ability legal analysis unless you want to open yourself up to a... View More

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3 Answers | Asked in Business Law, Intellectual Property, Trademark and Copyright for New York on
Q: Can I use any sauropod image for my educational small business or non profit if Sinclair has a similar dinosaur image?
Daniel Michael Luisi
Daniel Michael Luisi
answered on Apr 5, 2023

You need to conduct a copyright search to determine whether you are potentially infringing on Sinclair’s IP. You should also run a trademark knockout search to see whether your dinosaur is a registered or common law brand, or resembles one closely enough to create a “likelihood of confusion”... View More

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