15Feb 2018 by Tara Deeney
Branding 101: 3 Tips for Creating a Distinctive Trademark

Branding 101: 3 Tips for Creating a Distinctive Trademark

Trademarks
Trademarks are the brand name, logo, or slogan which represents a company. Trademarks are a form of intellectual property, and in order to best protect them, they need to be legally registered and made as distinguishing as possible. To help customers remember your brand, and to establish your company as an authority in your industry, it is important to create a distinctive and unique trademark, and here’s how. Make the first word in your trademark the most distinctive: If you are creating a new slogan or brand name, you want the first word to stand out the most. While the inclusion of generic words (green, gold, superior, etc.) may be necessary to some degree, these words should never be at the forefront of the trademark. One way to do this…
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15Jan 2018 by Tara Deeney
What is Intellectual Property and How Do You Protect It?

What is Intellectual Property and How Do You Protect It?

Intellectual Property
Intellectual property refers to a collection of ideas and concepts which a single person or business collectively own. Unlike tangible assets, intellectual property involves things that are created by the mind such as literary works, images used in commerce, or inventions. In the U.S., there are three forms of protection for intellectual property including copyrights, trademarks, and patents. Copyrights: A copyright is a form of protection which applies to written documents. This includes a variety of items including novels, musical compositions and accompanying words, audiovisual works, and architectural drawings and blueprints. When a person holds a copyright, he/she has the right to distribute, modify, perform, and display the work publicly. Trademarks: Trademarks are used to protect a company’s brand name, logo, or slogan. The Nike Swoosh symbol or the name…
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15Dec 2017 by Tara Deeney
How to Protect Your Trade Secrets

How to Protect Your Trade Secrets

Trade Secrets
Trade secrets are the key to businesses having a competitive edge over similar companies in their industry. A trade secret can be a product, blueprint, training materials, design, model, customer profile, recipe, formula, or information which is proprietary to that company. Trade secrets are protected under U.S. law, but it is still important for business owners to do everything possible to protect their trade secrets. To protect your company’s valuable information it is important to follow these tips. Identify your trade secrets: To protect your company’s trade secrets, you must first identify them. Not all information can be considered a trade secret, so you must look at what information is most valuable to your company and assess its potential value for the company in the future. You will also want…
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09Nov 2017 by Tara Deeney
3 Things Every Musician Needs to Know About Copyright Law

3 Things Every Musician Needs to Know About Copyright Law

Copyright Law
When you create a song or piece of music, that piece of artwork automatically belongs to you. While you hold the copyright to that piece, your word alone can be hard to prove in court, should someone try to steal your work. The only way to ensure that your music is safe from thieves is to protect yourself with an official copyright. If you are unsure why a copyright is necessary, read below to learn more about copyright law and the importance of guarding your creations. Copyright protection begins with creation: As mentioned earlier when you write a song or create a melody, your copyright protection begins. So long as the music and/or lyrics are recorded or put on paper, they are protected, according to the U.S. Copyright Office. It…
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