How Big Brands Bully Newcomers Out of Their Trademarks
This article is about the common practice of large, wealthy brands bullying newcomers and small players out of their perfectly allowable trademarks through the Opposition process in the United States Patent and Trademark Office (“USPTO”) Trademark Trial and Appeal Board (“TTAB”). I am working on just such a case in
Federal Trademarks Now Allowed on CBD products – With a Catch
Federal trademark registration for cannabis products has been a sticky subject for quite some time. As you probably already know (or I’ve told you in a prior post) that the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) will not currently grant trademark registrations for most marks covering cannabis related goods
Trademark Basics for New Businesses
There’s a ton written about trademarks on the internet and many services that offer low cost Federal registration of trademarks. It can be challenging to wade through all this information and know what to do to protect your brand.
Protect Your Cannabis Business: Don’t DIY Legal Work
When starting a business from the ground up, it can be tempting to do as much of the legwork as you can on your own. This is often associated with a desire to cut costs and save money, which is completely understandable. Starting a business is hard! But oftentimes, cutting
Licensing Update: Report from the Los Angeles Cannabis Commission
Yesterday, I attended the first public meeting of the Los Angeles Cannabis Commission held in 2019 and I’m reporting back on the content of the meeting, my “takeaways” from it and how that might impact cannabis licensing in Los Angeles. The meeting was at Los Angeles City Hall in the
Patents: Protecting your Cannabis Business
Protecting your cannabis business with Federal intellectual property registrations is an absolute must to ensure that competitors cannot steal or piggy-back on your investments in your brand or inventions. Patents protect your inventions, trademarks cover your brand, and applications for both go through the US Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).
New Cannabis Regulations: Who is an “Owner” and has a “Financial Interest”
As I’ve discussed in prior posts, California’s newly approved Bureau of Cannabis Control (BCC) final regulations contain a significant number of important changes that affect existing and potential new legal cannabis businesses. Delivery is the biggest news, but there are other changes worth discussing, such as additions to the definition
Federal Trademark Law Considerations for Cannabis Businesses
Starting a new business involves significant creative, time and financial investments. Protecting those investments is absolutely critical in any business, let alone the incredibly fast moving and growing cannabis business. As new states (and even countries) legalize cannabis, intellectual property laws, specifically Federal trademark and patent, are the most efficient
New Regulations: DELIVERY!
As promised, I am diving into highlights from the newly approved California Cannabis regulations. While there are many new details to review, none is as exciting (or has generated as much press) as the new delivery regulation that allows licensed cannabis businesses to deliver to any address in the state.
New Cannabis Regulations go into effect IMMEDIATELY!
There's big news in the California Cannabis world today! The three main regulatory agencies for cannabis in California (the Bureau of Cannabis Control, Department of Food and Agriculture and Department of Public Health) announced that the Office of Administrative Law officially approved state regulations for cannabis businesses across the supply chain