TEMPORARY HIATUS

by Christina Frangiosa

Dear Readers:

I am pleased to announce that I have joined the IP practice of the law firm, Eckert Seamans Cherin & Mellott, LLC, in its Philadelphia Office. While I’m getting settled, I will not be in a position to post updates to this blog. However, this interruption will only be temporary and I hope to resume posting on new developments in the IP world again shortly – either here or on a blog to be created within the firm. Please stay tuned. If you need to reach me in the meantime, please email me directly.

Best,
Christina Frangiosa
Privacy and IP Law Blog

Business Owners & the New Federal Claim for Trade Secret Misappropriation

by Christina Frangiosa

On May 11, 2016, Pres. Obama signed into law the Defend Trade Secrets Act of 2016, S. 1890, 114th Congr. (2d Sess. 2016) (“DTSA“), which provides for the first time a federal private right of action to litigants for trade secrets violations. Most states – except for Massachusetts and New York – have enacted versions of the Uniform Trade Secrets Act (“UTSA“) but the DTSA provides additional remedies without preempting state laws or eliminating any of the protections offered by them. Business owners will need to take some actions in the short term in order to take advantage of some of the more powerful remedies created by the DTSA.
Continue reading …

Five Simple Things Businesses Can Do to Better Secure Their Data

by Christina Frangiosa

News of data security breaches at one company or another has become so common that perhaps we are becoming immune to the significant impact these breaches can have on those whose information are affected. Not only can identity theft destroy an affected individual’s credit and limit his/her future buying choices, but also it is becoming clear that, philosophically, perhaps our private data really aren’t private anymore. Think of how easy it is to search public records online and find out personal details about a person well beyond what the phone book would have listed in days past. It is harder and harder to keep secrets when the Internet is involved.

Notwithstanding such developing immunity to the shock of a data breach at any particular company, data breaches are very serious events for a company – of any size. In the aftermath, it is not unusual to hear business executives announce that they “never want to go through that again.”

So, what can you do to minimize your company’s risk for data breach? Here are my top five recommendations: Continue reading …

Mobile Device Security Policies for Employers – Small and Large

by Christina Frangiosa

As a business owner, perhaps you have seen articles about setting ground rules for BYOD (a.k.a. employees bringing their own devices to work to use for work purposes). Placing restrictions on access to Company information, however, should not be limited only to those BYOD devices. Instead, if the Company issues Company-owned devices to employees for use on Company systems, similar ground rules should be put in place to set expectations and provide the backdrop for any disciplinary action that may be needed later if an employee misuses Company information or loses an unsecured device.

Here are some questions to keep in mind as you develop policies for Company-owned devices issued to employees: Continue reading …

Common Questions – What’s Involved in Registering a US Trademark?

by Christina Frangiosa

So, you’ve decided to launch a brand name in the U.S. and are contemplating registering it in the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office (“PTO“). What can you expect? Not every application is the same, so there will be variations in exactly what happens in the prosecution of your application, but hopefully this will serve as a “Trademark 101 Primer” to describe the basic process overall.  (Note – this post is for general information purposes only and does not provide any specific legal advice.  Contact your trademark attorney to discuss any areas of specific concern.)

BASICS

What is a Trademark? It’s a word, phrase, symbol or design, or a combination of words, phrases or designs, that identifies and distinguishes the source of the goods of one party from those of others. A service mark performs the same function as a trademark, but applies to the source of a service rather than of a product. (For simplicity, this post refers to trademarks and service marks collectively as “trademarks.”)

How Valuable is a Good Trademark? The value of a good trademark lies in its ability to convey to the public the source of a particular good or service. The key is to develop a mark unique enough that customers associate it with your goods or services – and only your goods and services. While temptingly simple, choosing a mark that describes your goods and services will not create any trademark value. Customers won’t know to distinguish your goods from others in the same market.

Can  Rights Develop Based on Use? Federal registration is not a requirement to protect trademarks in the U.S. – instead, rights in a particular trademark can be established simply based on use in connection with particular goods or services in the marketplace (aka “common law trademark rights”). Nevertheless, federal registration offers more comprehensive protection than reliance upon common law rights, including providing nationwide notice of the owner’s claim to the mark.

TRADEMARK APPLICATION PROCESS
 Continue reading …