Nine Things You Should Know About Probate
Posted on April 24, 2008 - Filed Under Legal and Law | Leave a Comment
The legal process of the distributing of the estate of a deceased individual is known as probate. Probate is often a time-consuming and confusing process for those who are involved. Most people lack a knowledge of the probate process because of inexperience with the process.
While probate is rarely easy, an adequate knowledge and understanding of the process can decrease stress, and increase your confidence that everything is being done properly. Anyone involved in probate should understand the following:
1 – In cases where a valid will exists, the individual named in the will as the executor is responsible to see that the deceased’s instructions are carried out.
Read More..>>International Trademarks And The Madrid Protocol
Posted on April 22, 2008 - Filed Under Legal and Law | Leave a Comment
Protecting your logo and so on with a trademark is a smart move. Ah, but what about protecting it in the United States AND internationally?
Filling for a trademark is a smart move for practically any business. Although the process can be lengthy, the final approval gives you the ability to stop competitors from using your mark to confuse consumers and perhaps steal them.
To obtain a trademark, one has to file an application with the Patent and Trademark Office. The application sets out the areas, known as classes, you wish the mark to apply to. Once the “PTO” approves your application, it is published for comment. Assuming no objections are raised, your trademark is approved. It is important to understand, however, the mark only applies to the United States.
Read More..>>Copyright Owners - How To Protect Your Work
Posted on April 19, 2008 - Filed Under Legal and Law | Leave a Comment
Daniel Woolsey is being sentenced for felony in California. He was caught selling pirated copies of Autodesk’s AutoCAD(R) software. Additional counts for selling other pirated software, including Adobe PhotoShop, were dropped as part of a plea bargain agreement. “This case should be a wake up call to copyright violators that they can face serious consequences. Autodesk will continue to work closely with law enforcement agencies . . . to protect our valuable intellectual property . . . .” said Sandy Boulton, director of Piracy Prevention at Autodesk.
Read More..>>Software Piracy, Fair Use Law, And Copyright Infringement
Posted on April 18, 2008 - Filed Under Legal and Law | Leave a Comment
As the multi-billion dollar software industry continues to become more and more financially lucrative, some of the more unethical entrepreneurs in America are attempting to get in on the moneymaking action by distributing pirated software. Often carried out online, software piracy can cost the industry millions of dollars in lost revenue, and the offense can carry hefty punitive fines and prison sentences.
Read More..>>Typefaces, Fonts And Characters - Intellectual Property Protection In The United Kingdom
Posted on April 12, 2008 - Filed Under Legal and Law | Leave a Comment
Mechanically produced fonts and the characters comprising fonts are protected under UK law as typefaces. The legal definition for typefaces incorporates letters, numerals and ornamental motifs. Fonts and typefaces created for PCs, Apple computers and Linux systems however are protected are artistic works.
Electronically Created Typefaces
What is not made clear in the Act, but follows from basic principles of copyright is that electronically created fonts are protected by copyright, provided they are original. The protection is an indirect means of protecting the individual characters.
Read More..>>Referring A Legal Case
Posted on April 11, 2008 - Filed Under Legal and Law | Leave a Comment
1. An experienced traveler, you purchase a train ticket from Fairbanks, Alaska to Anchorage. In terms of taking trains and purchasing tickets, you have both “been there” and “done that.” As you board the train for the multi hour ride which includes a meal you discover that you and your travel companion are sitting on a bench made for one hunched over a narrow table and across from another traveler and her companion. Cramped quarters were not what you were expecting. About quarter way into the journey, you learn that the track diverts since repairs are underway due to a train that crashed last week. You were not told of this when you purchased the ticket. Now the journey will proceed to another stop where you will switch from train to bus for the remainder of the trip. The trip will now take an additional 8 hours. Most of us, lawyers that we are, would likely seek some remuneration for the inconvenience of not being told a significant detail about the benefit we were getting by purchasing the train ticket. (Some would ask even if they liked traveling by bus in scenic Alaska anyway!) You surely did not get what you bargained for.
Read More..>>Us Trademark Law
Posted on April 11, 2008 - Filed Under Legal and Law | Leave a Comment
Trademark law has sought to protect not just the company and the products that it produces, but consumers and their interest in purchasing a product with consistent quality. Permitting a company to take advantage of a well known product and benefit from its famous name hurts not just the company with the famous name, but the consumer who mistakenly purchases the product believing it is the famous brand. One problem lies in the fact that there are different types of consumers. There are consumers that are product savvy and would not confuse two similar products, but there are unsophisticated consumers who will undoubtedly confuse the two. An actual harm requirement hurts the unsophisticated consumer by requiring consumer confusion before the famous brand can ask for an injunction pursuant to the Federal Trademark Dilution Act.
Read More..>>You Can Trademark A Lot More Than You Think
Posted on April 11, 2008 - Filed Under Legal and Law | Leave a Comment
Discussing a trademark in general is often difficult. Why? It has to do with the fact that you can trademark many things that are unique and entirely different.
When a person thinks of a trademark, most picture a logo of some sort. The swooping Coca Cola brand name is the classic example. Another example is the big red “O” you see in the television commercials for Overstock.com. Such examples of trademarks are fairly standard and most people can understand them without much effort.
Read More..>>Rhode Island Divorce Process And Strategy From Filing Divorce To Trial - By A Ri Family Law Lawyer
Posted on April 8, 2008 - Filed Under Legal and Law | Leave a Comment
This is part two of a three part series on the Rhode Island divorce process including divorce strategy. In part one, I discussed the initial stages of a divorce from finding a Rhode Island Attorney to filing for divorce. Please see below for a link to part one of this series.
This article discusses divorce strategy and the divorce process after filing for divorce. This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. It is a very bad idea for a person to represent themselves in a Rhode Island divorce without a lawyer.
Read More..>>Ri Real Estate Law - Purchase And Sales Agreements - Single Family
Posted on March 29, 2008 - Filed Under Legal and Law | Leave a Comment
In Rhode Island most buy and sell agreements (purchase and sales agreements) for single-family homes are on a form prepared by the Rhode Island Association of Realtors. The Purchase and Sales Agreement is a very important legal document that typically sets forth the sales price, time, date and place of the residential real estate closing, contingencies based on financing, as well as many other provisions.
You may attempt to negotiate modifications to this agreement and are not obligated to sign the standard form. Prior to signing the Purchase and Sales Agreement, the buyer should contact a Rhode Island lawyer / attorney who specializes in real estate law, residential real estate closings and title law.
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