Consumers make purchasing decisions based on myriad factors, from accessibility to price. The appearance of products also plays a considerable role in buying habits. People want to enjoy looking at what they buy, and they want other people to like looking at what they...
Tracy Dann
Online counterfeiting of your brand: What are your options?
The internet has made life infinitely easier in many ways, including making it easier for unscrupulous parties to make and sell counterfeit products. If someone has targeted your brand and is selling imitations, you need to know your options. Tracking down...
Can I trademark a common word?
When defining your business, a single word can seem like a succinct, strong option. However, challenges can arise when it comes to protecting these words with a trademark. Tips for trademarking a word Trademarking a word allows creators to identify their brands to...
How IP issues could disrupt your business
For some businesses, protecting intellectual property may not be a high priority. Some reasons owners do not prioritize their IP strategy are because they think it is unnecessary or too expensive. However, this oversight can disrupt an organization in more ways than...
What are ‘reasonable measures’ for protecting trade secrets?
Protecting trade secrets requires parties to take reasonable measures to keep the information in question private. However, the phrase "reasonable measures" can seem vague and subjective, creating confusion and vulnerabilities in a business's intellectual property....
Critical requirement for copyrights: Be a human
There are three requirements people must fulfill to copyright something: The work must be fixed in a permanent state. It must be an expression of an idea. The work must be creative. However, there is another requirement that may not be as explicit: copyrights can...
Why You Should Never Leave Your Creative Material to Chance
As a creator, you have ideas that no one else does. Your ingenuity and innovative skill has allowed you to carve a new path where there wasn’t one before - something most people never even attempt. Unfortunately, some will not hold the same reverence for your work,...
Protecting a patent: not always a smooth ride
Preparing and filing an application for a patent is a vital step in protecting a business's intellectual property. In many cases, a properly prepared application is approved with few or no setbacks. However, issues can and do arise. For instance, even if the U.S....
Jumi Kassim talks Grammarly, data security with Protocol
Are companies like Grammarly putting your business's data at risk in exchange for improved machine learning and better writing? Patterson Thuente IP patent attorney Jumi Kassim was interviewed on the subject by Kate Kaye and Lizzy Lawrence from Protocol. a publication...
Daniel Bruzzone honored for persistent pro bono service
Patterson Thuente IP patent attorney Daniel Bruzzone was recently honored at a Lawyers Step Up for Minnesota event recognizing pro bono service. Dan was one of a number of attorneys who showed a continued commitment to pro bono service despite the increased hurdles...