The Music Modernization Act HURTS Indie Songwriters
The Orrin G. Hatch – Bob Goodlatte Music Modernization Act (“MMA”) became law on October 11, 2018. It enacts sweeping changes to provisions of the United States Copyright Act affecting […]
Author Archive for: Russell Law
Entries by Elizabeth Russell
Why Do Humans Make Such Terrible Decisions?
Maybe that title takes you to a place you’d rather forget. Don’t worry; I’m only talking about trademark law. But if you’ve got a moment, please hear me out. We […]
Lawyers Should Volunteer. But Not For The Arts.
This post is going to be very unpopular. I spent the better part of ten years trying to launch a Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts program in the state of […]
Why bother with a US trademark registration?
Reason #963: So the city can’t make you change your signage. 15 USC 1121(b): No State or other jurisdiction of the United States or any political subdivision or any agency […]
Branding Tips
Of course you love your brand. It’s your badge of quality. It’s your identity. It could be your most important asset. So, why would you even consider shortcuts? Understand what […]
DMCA: would you rather pay $110 or $6?
Under the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA), internet service providers who want “safe harbor” (from being held liable for copyright infringement committed by their users) must designate an agent to […]
Caution: Trademark and Social Media
Often, trademark owners seek to register their marks for “social networking” or “creating an online community for users.” That’s fine, if the trademark owner is actually providing the social networking […]
Entity Name vs. Trademark vs. Trade Name vs. DBA
Often, I find myself explaining the difference between a business’ entity name, and the various trademarks the business might use to distinguish its goods and services from those of competitors. […]
Santa Claus No Longer “Coming To Town” for EMI
The copyright “termination right” permits copyright owners (and their heirs) to terminate copyright transfers or licenses granted on or after January 1, 1978. For details about how this works, check […]
