by eclewis | Oct 12, 2010 | Business News, IP Law
Why Patent Law Is a Highly Specialized Area of Practice
Today’s Legal Minute for Small Businesses: I’ve recently had several clients ask me why I don’t do patent law so I thought I would take a minute to talk about patent law. Patent law is one of the few areas of the law that you can truly specialize in. To become a patent attorney, you must pass a separate bar exam called the patent bar. In order to even be eligible to take this exam, you must have either a Bachelors, Masters, or PhD in specific scientific areas. Most attorneys that I know that practice patent law only practice intellectual property law. (I have yet to meet someone that does both patent law and family law!) Therefore, if you are looking for a patent attorney, please let me know because although I do not practice patent law, I can refer you to someone who does!
by eclewis | Oct 5, 2010 | Business News, IP Law, Online/Social Media Law
Do you have pictures on your website?
Today’s Legal Minute for Small Businesses: Do you have pictures on your website? For most people with a business website, the answer is yes. However, for people that use website developers, many cannot answer the question whether or not they have the right to use the picture. Copyright infringement occurs when you use a picture that is not yours without permission. Permission can be granted either through a license (for instance the Creative Commons license) or through requesting and receiving permission from the owner. Using pictures without permission can result in litigation and costly fines. If you have pictures on your website and do not know if you have permission to use them, please feel free to contact me, your Denver small business lawyer, at 720-258-6647 or Elizabeth.Lewis@eclewis.com.
by eclewis | Oct 3, 2010 | Business News, IP Law, Online/Social Media Law
Have you read the terms of service for your email account?
Today’s Legal Minute for Small Businesses: Have you read the terms of service for you email account? In today’s business world, an email address has moved from being a luxury to being a must. Even apartment buildings list an email address you can write for more information. However, have you ever read the terms of service for your email account? Do you know who has access to the account? How does the company handle subpoenas or other requests for information? If you are using a public email company, which most people do, it is important that you read and understand what the company does with your personal information, the emails you receive, and the emails you send. Depending on your profession and your business, you may have to limit what you do through the company if the policies are such that you are worried about privacy or legal issues. If after reading the terms of service for your email account for your business you have any questions, please feel free to contact me, your Denver small business lawyer, at 720-258-6647 or Elizabeth.Lewis@eclewis.com.
by eclewis | Jun 3, 2010 | IP Law, Online/Social Media Law
Guest blogging at IP Law Institute!
I am excited to be a guest blogger today and tomorrow for the 8th Annual IP Law Institute. I will be posting throughout the next two days at the conference that will focus on the issues I love – trademarks, software licensing, and social media. I can’t wait to learn more about these topics and know that it will prove helpful in my everyday law practice.
To follow my posts on twitter, please use the hashtag #ipinstitute. To follow my blog postings, please go to http://ip.annualcle.com/blog. Following the conference, I will be posting a roundup of the information on my blog this weekend!
by eclewis | Apr 29, 2010 | Business News, IP Law, Online/Social Media Law
Online Marketing Law for Small Businesses
Last week, I presented to small business owners on online marketing law and some of the things that all companies who are going online need to thing about. Once again, I would like to thank the Denver Entrepreneurs Meetup and Jo Guerra for asking me to present at their monthly meeting. I had a great time and was lucky to have an audience that had a ton of questions and kept me on my feet!
This presentation is only for informational purposes. If you are a small business with any questions about online marketing, please feel free to call me at 720-258-6647 or email me at Elizabeth.Lewis@eclewis.com to set up an appointment today!
by eclewis | Mar 8, 2010 | Business News, IP Law
Amazon drops affiliates in Colorado due to HB 1193
Earlier today Amazon stated that it was dropping affiliates in Colorado due to the passage of HB1193. This bill, also know as the software tax bill, requires any company with “sufficient connections” to the state of Colorado to withhold state sales tax. While the Governor of our State says that this has leveled the playing field, in my opinion it has cost many people their jobs and done more to hurt our state than help it.
Just because someone lists products on a website does not, in my opinion, give rise to significant ties in the state. If the state really wants to increase its tax base, I am sure there are better ways than charging a sales tax on affiliate marketing – especially as it now appears that any tax dollars that were to be gained have been lost as other companies as sure to follow Amazon and also leave our state. Without any affiliate marketers in the state, not only does the state not get the sales tax it was thinking it would but now also gains more unemployed people who use to make their money this way – which is not the type of gains it wants. It appears to be a lose-lose situation.
Hopefully, the voters in Colorado will speak up against this and the other tax bills foolishly making their way through with their votes this year. And, hopefully, those that come next season will attempt to undo the damage that has been done.
