I have started a new company. Do I need to trademark my brand and get a trademark lawyer?

If your brand is at all important to your business (as it is with most businesses), then I absolutely recommend consulting with a trademark...

Is using copyrighted material to promote a company project (vs. a product or service) legal?

The specific terms of the license will determine whether your use is licensed or infringing. Without reviewing the actual terms of the license,...

A terminated general manager entered into an agreement (contract?) with a friend for outside commission sales. How do we sever?

This is a tough question to answer in the abstract. If the manager did not have actual or apparent authority to bind your organization to the...

What are the conditions under which I can re-use copyrighted material made available online?

It's hard to give a blanket answer to this question, but there are two copyright doctrines that would likely apply. First, the type of documents...

Do I run the risk of trademark infringement with a tagline that is similar to another company's name?

It's really impossible to give reliable trademark infringement advice without looking at the specifics of the marks in question and how they are...

In my experience, the usual first step is not to file a lawsuit. However, it doesn't really matter what the "usual" first step is. You might get...

Can software engineers who automate the acceptance of a end user license agreement be sued?

Generally speaking, providing a device or service that could be used for legitimate non-infringing purposes will not give rise to third-party...

What can be done? A venue is not honoring a verbal contract with past employees.

You may have some recourse. It is possible that any written communications (such as emails) between your company and the venue employees would be...

What types of lawsuits would I have to worry about when starting a social networking site?

The truth of the matter is that a social networking site could end up giving rise to all sorts of legal liability, depending on the features, how...

Someone wants to pay me to occasionally edit their writing? How do I make it legal?

It is a good idea to execute a written agreement that clarifies key points such as your rate, when payment is due, etc. In the case of written...