Washington DC Trademark Attorneys & Lawyers

Pirates Beware! ISPs are cracking down on illegal downloads.

In the face of widespread online file sharing, Internet Service Providers (ISPs) such as AT&T, Cablevision Systems, Comcast, Time Warner Cable and Verizon are implementing a “six-strike” plan to educate and eventually prevent pirates from downloading material.  You read that right—there are six strikes. The system is intended to target peer-to-peer file sharing websites, and not online lockers, such as Dropbox, or email attachments.

After the first offense is detected, the Internet subscriber will receive an email alert from their ISP saying that the subscriber account may have been used for “online co

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What Are Likelihood of Confusion Factors?

Likelihood of confusion factors are the legal standards used to determine whether trademark infringement has occurred. The factors are also used as one of several tests conducted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) to determine whether a trademark application is approved.

The likelihood of confusion test is used to decide if a trademark is likely to be confused with another trademark. 

The Role of a Trademark Attorney

The attorney that is examining the trademark needs to do a search of the USPTO records to find out whether the applicant's mark is similar to any other registered mark that may cause confusion or mistake if i

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Updated July 7, 2020:

Copyrights: How to Obtain a Copyright

Registering a copyright with the U.S. Copyright Office allows you to file a lawsuit and take someone to court for violating your copyright. You must have registered that copyright first, otherwise, you cannot file a lawsuit. The following task list walks you through the copyright registration process using the U.S. Copyright Office electronic filing application.

A Guide to Copyrights and How to Obtain One

Registering a copyright with the U.S. Copyright Office helps to protect your intellectual property and allows you to file a lawsuit and take someone to court for violating your copyright. You must have registered that copyright first otherwise you cannot file a lawsuit. The following task list walks you through the copyright registration process using the U.S. Copyright Office electronic filing app

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What Is the Doctrine of Equivalents?

The doctrine of equivalents is a legal method for a patent owner to file an infringement claim even though the original product is not completely identical to the infringing product. 

There are a variety of ways for patent holders to protect their intellectual property. One of these methods is called the "doctrine of equivalents" (DOE). The doctrine of equivalents lets a patent holder sue for infringement if the product in question isn't exactly the same as the original. This prevents someone from making minor changes to a product in order to avoid an infringement case. 

In these cases, the Court will examine whether the infringing product is for the same purpose or completes the same function as the original product. If the product is found to be equivalent in these ways, then the patent holder will win their claim. 

This doctrine was established in Graver Tank & Mfg.

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Updated October 27, 2020:

Intellectual Theft: What Is It?

Intellectual theft is stealing or using without permission someone else's intellectual property.

Intellectual property is any creative or commercial innovation, any new method that has economic value, or any distinctive mark which might include a name, symbol, or logo that's used in commercial practices. This type of property includes ideas and property protected by trade secret laws, trademarks, patents, or copyrights. Client lists, mechanical inventions, poems, logos, and other items can be covered under intellectual property.

Intellectual property is protected by a patent for inventions, trademarks for commercial marks or branded products, and copyrights on creative pursuits such as music, photo, poems. Intellectual property is protected under state and federal laws. Intellectual property is commonly abbreviated as IP.

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