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Legal Alert: Brands Need to Regroup to Keep up with Flurry of Legislation Changes
June 26, 2013This spring brought a flurry of regulatory changes and enforcement of existing laws for advertisers and marketers. This legislative update identifies several areas on which brands should focus their attention to remain compliant and to maximize their marketing efforts.
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...FTC Issues New Rules for Digital Advertising
April 4, 2013Advertisers now have a new set of standards for making disclosures in digital advertising, courtesy of the FTC. Last month, the FTC released its revised “.Com Disclosures: How to Make Effective Disclosures in Digital Advertising.” Asserting that advertisers need to make their disclosures clearly so that consumers understand their offers, the FTC decries hyperlinks, hashtags, and pop-ups.
Read More...Sweepstakes and Prize Offers Create Interdisciplinary Legal Risks for Marketers
March 8, 2013Consumers love prizes, but they hate being deceived by illegal and false promises of prizes. They especially hate when they have been lured into giving away personal information or spending money needlessly. Sweepstakes and contests require detailed legal vetting, but so do the advertising and marketing messages that accompany these prize promotions.
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.
Read More...Risky Pinterest Business? Questions on Intellectual Property Protection and Brand Promotion
December 5, 2012Pinterest’s announcement last month that it would allow the creation of business accounts seemed a welcome development. After all, the site had always encouraged authenticity but had not been welcoming authentic commercial use. Now businesses can come out of the shadows and claim their board’s business pages. In so doing, they still face many unanswered questions.
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