I know the word audit brings about a certain level of fear for business owners and individuals alike, but in this case the term audit is being used in a positive manner. I promise. I released a free downloadable legally fit audit earlier this year (you can still get that here). This audit goes through a series of questions in …
Why Social Media has made it Necessary to Register Your Trademarks
Yes, your trademarks are protected by common law. And I know I’ve mentioned a time or two why registration with the USPTO is a good idea. While I stick by my previous statements about the benefits of registration, an event this week with a client has inspired me to put this article together and give you yet another reason why …
Best Practices for Social Media Use in Business
Arguably, individuals can use social media, interact with brands, celebrities and friends (or enemies) in any manner they wish, and their actions will be protected by the First Amendment. Businesses that utilize social media as part of their branding and marketing, do not have that same luxury. Because businesses are, well in the business of making money by selling, they …
The Different Types of Trademark Applications
Trademarks are somewhat straightforward. A trademark is anything that acts as a source identifier for a particular product or service. It is the thing that allows the public to discern where that product or service is coming from. Think the apple with a bite out of it, or coca-cola written in that fanciful font. I have discussed trademarks at length …
Social Media, #Influencers, and the FTC
Social Media advertising is a billion-dollar industry. Make that $19.3 billion in 2018 in the United States. It’s no wonder everyone wants to be an influencer, work with influencers, or be the brand every influencer wants to work with. So it’s also not surprising that the Federal Trade Commission (the FTC) is continuing to disrupt influencer marketing by handing out …
Boilerplate Contract Clauses and What They Mean
You may or may not have heard the term boilerplate before. It’s just another fancy word used by attorneys to describe the standardized language used in contracts. And although not all contracts contain the same boilerplate language, many do and I think it will be helpful for you to know what the heck some of those things mean. If you …
How to Properly Sign a Contract for your Business:
A few articles back I discussed the importance of not being a sole proprietor and why forming a business entity with your state is so important. You can check that out here in case you missed it. So hopefully after you read that, and any other warning I’ve given, you know that having a business entity is extremely important. With …
What Does That (copyrighted) Image Mean to You?
Last week I discussed defamation, one of the multiple issues that might affect a social media influencer and their growing business. This week we are turning to a more commonly discussed issue and one that I have discussed at length here on the blog copyrights. I am not going to discuss what a copyright is, how you protect it, or …
You May Want to Rethink that Review
Turning social influence into a money-making brand requires knowledge of running a business. That knowledge needs to include at least some understanding of the law and how it applies to your social influence. Remember, the law does not care how many followers you have. So let’s turn our attention to one area that I think gets overlooked on social media …
Protecting Your Membership Site
I am currently working with a wonderful group of people to get their membership site up and running and of course, legally protected. Membership sites are becoming more and more popular amongst the online entrepreneurial crowd particularly influencers who have a large following and are looking for ways to monetize what they’re putting out. A membership site allows you to …
