Inked Law

™️®️Ever wonder why you see so many strange and unknown trademarks and brand names when browsing Amazon?

Half As Interesting published a simplified analysis of the unintended consequences of Amazon's Brand Registry requirements and their effect on the USPTO and other applicants. Forgive them ahead of time for saying "patent" instead of "trademark". 😅

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Bq-6GeRhys

If you have questions about YOUR trademark and branding, please do not hesitate to reach out to the intellectual property attorneys at Stephens Juren PLLC - 832-344-5400

-Matt Juren

This post is for informational purposes and should not be construed as legal advice. We do not control or necessarily endorse the content of third party links shared for informational purposes.

How Amazon Broke the US Patent Office Get Nebula using my link for 40% off an annual subscription: https://go.nebula.tv/halfasinterestingGet a Half as Interesting t-shirt: https://standard.tv/col...

Always a good day when you get a patent in the mail for your client!

What should social media influencers know about intellectual property rights?

Social media is more than just memes and pictures of your friends’ lunch. It is one of the fastest growing enterprises for advertising and spreading news and content.

Influencers should be mindful of many things the first of which is whether they are protecting themselves from personal liability for their online conduct. If you do not have a business entity through which you operate your business, then you may be opening yourself to personal liability for infringement, contractual issues, and torts. Influencing is a business. Keep your personal accounts separate from your business accounts.

Being an influencer also means that you might be dealing with advertisers that want you to promote their products or services. The different platforms you may use likely have different requirements for disclosing when a post is sponsored or paid for by another company. There may also be state and federal regulations as well.

With advertisements and sponsors, you’ll want to make sure you have a written sponsor contract and to conduct background research the company that is offering to sponsor you. The last thing you want to do is endorse a product that does not work or a company that takes your follower’s money, never delivers, and doesn’t pay you.

It is also important to make sure that your posts do not infringe the intellectual property of others. Don’t copy and paste someone else’s picture to post as your own, rather use the share button or ‘retweet’ from the original author. Giving an attribution or shout out may not be enough to avoid a copyright infringement claim or strike on your account.

If you have questions about your social media presence or want to discuss a sponsorship deal, please give us a call at 713-463-6000 for a consultation. The intellectual property attorneys at Stephens | Domnitz | Meineke PLLC are standing by to assist.

Who owns the copyright of your tattoo?

This one is interesting! There are several different layers to unpack here.

Copyrights protect original works of authorship fixed in any tangible medium of expression.

Certainly, the original drawing or sketch by a tattoo artist would be subject to copyright protection whether on paper or digital medium. The stencil too. Remember, generally the author/artist is the owner of the copyright, unless agreed to otherwise. Be sure to read your contract and discuss with your artist before getting inked if you will have the copyright to the drawings! If you are getting and paying for a custom piece, you want to be the only one with it!

What about the ink in your skin? This one is trickier.

This is why many artists will submit the original sketch or stencil, such as the case of Mike Tyson’s tattoo artist submission of Mr. Tyson’s face tattoo sketch rather than Mr. Tyson’s face itself. This can afford protection from others copying the sketch and applying it to other mediums such as skin. Just don’t expect a court to order the other client to get it lasered off in the event is copied.

For artists, copyrighting your flash sheets and portfolios can be an important first step to protecting your art assets, which is also your livelihood. While it goes without saying, copying another artist’s tattoos is frowned upon, you can’t sue for copyright infringers without a registration in hand.

If you have questions about copyrights, trademarks, or want to get your contract updated to clarify ownership, please give us a call at 713-463-6000 for a consultation. The intellectual property attorneys at Stephens | Domnitz | Meineke PLLC and Inked Law are standing by to assist you in protecting you and your client’s intellectual property rights.

Let us know how we can help you protect your innovation, brands, and original works!

is a firm of professional attorneys that offer legal services and advice on patent, trademark, and copyright laws. We help businesses find their way through legal mazes and work to being success to their inventions! If you need a patent lawyer in Houston or Dallas-Fort Worth to patent your inventions, connect with us today!

New invention? New ink formula? New aftercare product? You may be able to seek patent protection. Contact us to find out what your options may include!

3 Crucial Steps to Patent Your Idea - Our Guide for New Inventors ⚖️

Good, original ideas are rare, so when brilliance strikes, it is important to protect them once you introduce them to the world. Turning your innovative blueprints into real-world products that can boost the quality of life in some form or another is only half the battle. The next step to cementing its place in society is to gain exclusive rights over your invention.

Step #1: Hire a Patent Attorney

Before moving forward with your patent search and application, hiring a professional attorney can ensure you start in the right direction. Handling all the paperwork yourself may seem cost-effective, but it is a risk that can lead to costlier consequences if you run into any complications.

Having an expert guide you every step of the way will not only take the hassle out of the process, but their extensive experience, technical expertise, and industry know-how will make it easier to maximize your rights for your invention.

Step #2: Know Your Product Thoroughly

Many ideas sound exciting and ground-breaking, but can you provide in-depth details that can prove their usefulness and feasibility? An idea will only sound like a dream if you do not arm it with realistic expectations, so be sure to understand your product first and fill any loopholes that would compromise your application.

Step #3: Conduct a Patent Search

Before you can take full ownership of your invention, you first need to exhaust other patents and ensure there are no similarities that can get you on the wrong side of the law. That is why conducting a patent search is the most critical part of the process, along with being the most time-consuming and arduous.

It is the stage that confirms your idea’s novelty, so having a lawyer specializing in patents should ease the stress since they can handle the legwork. Beyond finding identical products, they can also offer solutions that allow you to move forward without scrapping all your hard work.

The Bottom Line: Patenting Your Invention in a Few Easy Steps

Now that you have a general idea of how to improve your patent application, you can have higher chances of having a positive outcome and set the stage where your product can flourish in the future.

How can we Help Protect your Intellectual Property?

If you're looking for a reputable patent law firm in Houston and Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas, that can help protect your intellectual property rights, our expert IP attorneys at Patent Lawyers can get the job done for you. Our services specialize in safeguarding your identity and business' interests, so get in touch with us at 713-463-6000 and see how we can help you with your invention.

If you have any questions or need help please contact us!

Will be interesting to see how this develops what ever side you fall on. https://www.reuters.com/technology/exclusive-us-warns-against-ip-trade-secret-risks-draft-eu-tech-rules-paper-2021-11-10/

EXCLUSIVE U.S. warns against IP, trade secret risks in draft EU tech rules - paper Draft landmark EU rules requiring U.S. tech giants to share information with rivals could put at risk companies' intellectual property and trade secrets, the United States government warned in a document seen by Reuters.

Happy Tuesday 💙 Let’s talk about what Trademark Law can protect ⚖️

If you have any questions or need help please contact us!

“And we should be the first to respect copyright” 💙 Happy Tuesday!

🤫 Want to know a secret? If you have questions about trade secrets and protecting your confidential business information, give us a call to schedule a consultation.

Can sponsored influencers be liable for trademark infringement? This federal court says yes, as it allows the case to move forward.

IP Watchdog has a great break down of this early decision:

https://www.ipwatchdog.com/2021/08/17/infringing-influencers-federal-judge-says-sponsored-blogger-can-face-trademark-infringement-liability/id=136816/

This could be potentially avoided, or at least insured against, with a strong sponsorship contract. Reach out to us if you would like to setup a consultation and learn how you can protect yourself.

The other half of the esports stadium!

Final day of Tattoo Collector's Expo. We're also doing a free legal seminar for artists and small business owners at 2pm in the lounge. Come by and learn how to protect your art and business.

Our attorney Matt Juren will be presenting a seminar on artist’s intellectual property rights this weekend at The Texas Tattoo Collectors Expo in Arlington,TX. He hopes to see you there to discuss your IP & small business needs!

Matt hopes to see you Friday and Sunday afternoon after his seminars on artist's IP rights at the Texas Tattoo Collector's Expo. Find him for some swag!

Getting hyped for this weekend! Presenting two rounds of seminars on protecting artist's intellectual property rights (patents, copyrights, trademarks)

I hope to see you there Friday and Sunday afternoon at the Esports Stadium in Arlington, Texas! Seminars start at 2pm.

Attention all Twitch Streamers 🚨
Copyrights news
“Twitch unveils a new copyright policy, which says that users can receive three strikes before their channel gets banned from the streaming platform”
Do you want to learn more? Click the link below 👇

Twitch to Introduce New ‘Three Copyright Strike’ Policy, Sounds Similar to YouTube Twitch unveils a new copyright policy, which says that users can receive three strikes before their channel gets banned from the streaming platform.

Today we are go! Come hear the fans argue their cases in support of their favorite fandomand be judged!

Court is in session, Fandom Court that is. New this year, Comicpalooza is bringing the hottest debate prompts to the stage to settle them once and for all. Presented by Stephens Domnitz Meineke, PLLC, sign up to participate in mock trials (judged by real-life attorneys!) featuring a wide variety of pop-culture topics like “In Earth's greatest time of need, who would you rather call upon to save the planet: Doctor Strange or Doctor Who?”

Sign Up Here: https://bit.ly/2SpXHf2

Comicpalooza is happening July 17 – 18, 2021! Purchase your CP2021 passes 🎫 at http://bit.ly/3b1giTI

Get the scoop on Comicpalooza at: https://bit.ly/2OzUlnK

Excited to announce the FANDOM COURT at Comicpalooza 2021!

Think you have what it takes to argue and defend your favorite show or character? Check out the topics available and sign up for a chance to make your case to the court all weekend July 17-18th in Houston at Comicpalooza 2021!

Hope to see you there!

https://www.comicpalooza.com/activities/special-attractions/fandomcourt/

Fandom Court | COMiCPALOOZA Sign up for your chance to participate in mock trials all weekend featuring a wide variety of topics to argue about.

Great show @ Texas Tattoo Arts Convention today! Nice to meet everyone and looking forward to next time!
Villain Arts
Inked Law

Matt Juren and will be providing a free legal seminar at the Houston Tattoo Arts Convention in NRG Center on June 6, 2021 at 11am. The seminar will include an introduction to copyrights, trademarks, and patents and how tattoo artists and shop owners can protect their art and businesses.

Check out the convention on their Facebook and https://villainarts.com/tattoo-conventions-villain-arts/houston-tattoo-arts-convention/

The presentation is intended for educational purposes and is not legal advice. Please consult with an attorney if you have specific legal questions.