Can I protect the name of my startup company via TM and through the USPTO, considering another company's existence?

It sounds like you want an opinion Friday m an experienced trademark lawyer. Ever opinion depends on its own facts, so it can't be answered based...

Can I?

Check the date of publication. If copyright has expired it's in the public domain. As a general rule 123 years is the maximum, but there could be...

No. Live only means it is not abandoned. Use TSDR to see the whole file.

Is it legal to use the "verb form" of a name of an established business as part of your domain name. e.g. "googlinggadgets.com"

It's problematic for everybody. The trademark owner doesn't want it to happen because it can contribute to "genericide" where what used to be a...

Contracts are not pigeon holed that way. MOU, though, is usually not a contract, but rather an agreement to have a contract some time in the...

Do I have any legal option?

It would appear that, absent permission to reproduce it, it could be both a copyright violation and a right of publicity/privacy violation if you...

From what you describe it sounds like you agree to split the royalties. You are using something of theirs (beat) to create a derivative work...

Can I parody the Van Halen logo on shirts to sell?

Commercially selling fan merchandise could get you sued by the band or the players since the nickname identifies them. Selling stuff is quite...

As an artist could I sell other branded clothes with my touch? Same brand but it gains my touch and my artist brand.

The answer above is a good one. There's at least one case where Rolex won against a seller of real Rolex watches that had been modified to add...

How does trademark law come into play when companies start expanding merchandise and sell items for marketing purposes?

Trademark rights exist for particular marks as used on particular goods. The 'protection' is against use of a mark that is so similar, on goods...