Publications

iPulse: Don’t Overlook the Importance of Selecting “Strong” (Valuable) Trademarks

Author: Michael Chesal

Too often, businesses, neglect the importance of selecting and protecting “strong” names to identify their products and services.  Not only can this oversight result in consumer confusion and lost business, but a valuable monetary asset might be lost as well.  The objective of this article is to give the reader a basic understanding of what makes a name valuable or “strong” and how it can be protected.  Read More

iPulse: Guidelines for Proper Trademark Use

Author: Michael Chesal

If a trademark is used properly, it will continue to remain the exclusive property of its owner.  But if the consuming public comes to treat a trademark as the name of a product, rather than a designation for one particular source of the product, it will no longer “identify” and “distinguish” the goods of one manufacturer.  The trademark is then said to have become a generic term which is freely available for anyone to use. Read More

iPulse: Avoiding Licensing Pitfalls

Author: Leora Herrmann

Successful trademark licensing enables both licensor and licensee to grow their businesses by taking advantage of the synergy between their companies.  The trademark owner benefits by expanding the reach of its brand, increasing brand recognition and generating a royalty stream.  The licensee benefits from the brand’s selling power, resulting in increased sales. The blueprint for a successful licensing relationship is the license agreement.  Ideally, the agreement should clearly set forth the parties’ expectations and the procedures by which they will conduct their relationship. Read More

 “What’s In a Name: Choosing an Effective Trademark”

Author: Leora Herrmann

Published in: Insurance IP Bulletin:

 “What’s in a Name?  That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet.”  So spoke the heroine in Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet.  Juliet’s sentiment rang true in the Bard’s stale of star-crossed lovers. But, when it comes to business, she couldn’t have been farther from the mark.  Read More