S. 3376: Congress takes on the DOJ regarding Internet Gaming

A new bill, S. 3376, introduced last month in Congress is taking direct aim at the legally divisive world of online casino and poker gambling websites. It was submitted by Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas) and co-sponsored by Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-South Carolina) and Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah). The bill aims to undo the actions of the Department of Justice, which in 2011, issued an opinion on the application of the 1961 Read More

4 Free Things You Can Do Right Now To See If Your Trademark Is Clear

Often companies don’t think about checking to see whether a brand, logo, or tagline is legally available for use until marketing and development efforts are already underway. When a company has a limited budget, it’s tempting to postpone or forego a trademark search and focus dollars and efforts in other areas. Unfortunately, the downside risks of using an infringing trademark in commerce are significant. A court Read More

Understanding the Key Differences Between Trademarks and Copyrights

When new clients contact us with questions about how best to protect their intellectual property, we are often asked to explain the difference between trademarks and copyrights. While they are both important established means of protecting intellectual property, they have significant differences. Understanding these differences can help you to identify your company’s valuable intellectual property assets and guide Read More

Open Innovation or Unfair Competition?

GOOGLE DEFENDS AGAINST ANTITRUST CLAIMS IN THE EUROPEAN UNION Mega-giant internet company Google was hit last week with multiple antitrust charges in the European Union in the form of a “Statement of Objections” issued by the European Commission. The Commission alleges that Google has been abusing its dominance on the market by forcing Android phone makers and mobile network providers to load Google’s applications on Read More

Unilever Wants Your Ideas

Unilever recently opened a new platform to help them grow their business using open innovation.  The new Open Innovation portal is designed to find the latest and greatest technologies from around the world. Unilever plans to use submissions to its portal to improve upon existing concepts, as well as discover new ideas and ways of working with innovation partners. The company has expressed its commitment to the Read More

Abandoned Buggies – Help is on the Way!

Recently Singapore’s Municipal Services Office (MSO) unveiled its plans for a new app and web portal in an effort to improve government services. Minister of Culture, Community, and Youth, Ms. Grace Fu, is in charge of the project and believes it will greatly improve municipal services using the power of crowd-sourcing. The goal is for users to provide information and feedback to the MSO using the new platform, which Read More

Uncle Sam Wants YOU

The Pentagon’s Strategic Capabilities Office has advised that it has plans to seek out new and improved innovations from industry professionals in the field of weaponry. The Pentagon’s goal is to put its existing weapons to work in new and useful ways. This is all in an effort to keep one step ahead of other heavy-hitters such as Russia and China.  This is the first time the Pentagon has reached out for help in this Read More

Become a Space Archaeologist!

Dr. Sarah H. Parcak, American archeologist and Egyptologist, was recently awarded the 2016 Ted Prize for her pioneering work in “space archeology,” a concept involving the use of satellite imaging, taken from over 400 miles above Earth, to uncover ancient sites which have gone undiscovered for millennia. An important function of space archeology is to expose and monitor looting of historic locations. Part of the Read More

A "Cool" Shipping Idea?

Do you have a “cool” shipping idea? The Hershey Company recently launched a crowd-sourcing campaign on NineSigma to seek out the next big innovation in shipping, specifically, shipping cold chocolate to warm climates.  According to the contest website, Hershey is looking to develop “a lightweight, affordable shipping system that will keep chocolate close to the temperature at which it was packed, 75°F or below, for Read More

Crowdsourcing and Clinical Trials

A recent article written by Llewellyn King discusses crowd-sourcing’s newest application: clinical drug trials. Traditional drug trials are not terribly efficient at actually helping patients who are suffering from a particular disease. These trials are lengthy and expensive, and the control group is often treated with a placebo or nothing at all. What’s worse is that the knowledge gained from such trials is Read More