Restaurant/Food Services
How to Spot Legal Issues in Your Social Media Campaigns
December 16, 2014Social media campaigns come fast and furious, here today and gone tomorrow. Brands may be tempted to skip legal vetting, assuming their offers will fly under the radar of regulators. Even if you don’t have inside counsel, your marketing team should have a vetting system in place. Marketers can learn to spot legal issues and work to reduce risk with outside counsel. Here are twelve laws with which social media marketers should be familiar when deciding when to turn to legal counsel.
Read More...Legal Rules for Cause Marketing
July 7, 2014Cause marketing is a popular technique for promoting sales. Brands frequently advertise that they donate a percentage of sales to a charitable cause, particularly using social media to spread the word of their good deeds. In so doing, brands become a co-venturer with the charity and have certain legal obligations under a wide variety of charitable solicitation laws.
Read More...5 Top Legal Questions and Answers about Pinterest
October 6, 2013Clients frequently ask questions about copyright issues with Pinterest. In fact, the same questions arise repeatedly. Brands want to know how to avoid copyright violations on Pinterest, and they want to know how they can build a Pinterest marketing strategy into their business plan safely. Realtor Magazine recently interviewed me about how realtors can use Pinterest boards to promote their listings. The legal issues apply across industries. Here are answers to some of the most frequently asked questions about legal issues on Pinterest.
Read More...New Rules Simplify Entry for Facebook Giveaways
September 3, 2013On August 27, 2013, Facebook updated its promotion guidelines to make it easier to run sweepstakes and contests on the platform. In its announcement of the updates, Facebook is reaching out to “businesses of all sizes,” tacitly acknowledging the added expense associated with its previous requirements that sweepstakes and contests run through a third party application.
Read More...Do-It-Yourself Trademark Applications: Penny Wise; Pound Foolish
April 25, 2013Trademark protection is a key part of corporate due diligence, serving to improve the value of company’s chief intangible assets. Too many business owners, however, mistakenly believe that seeking trademark protection merely involves filing a form with the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). They forego legal counsel, assuming they can secure protection themselves and save some money. In the end, they are often surprised by the complexity of the trademark registration process. Here are seven traps that often befall do-it-yourself trademark applicants.
Read More...Hot Topics in Advertising Law for 2013
January 16, 2013With 2013 now officially underway, I am highlighting some hot topics in advertising law. We will continue to see developments in these areas, whether judicial or legislative in nature. The most proactive step a brand can take to avoid legal risk is to allocate some of its crisis budget to audit its advertising and marketing practices early in the year.
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