Many New Jersey residents think of the apparel manufacturer Adidas when they see athletic shoes or sportswear with three stripes just as they associate Nike with their distinctive swoosh and Reebok with the Union Jack. The German company has spent decades building the Adidas brand, and it has taken aggressive legal action on several occasions against companies that it feels have infringed on its intellectual property rights.
Guarding legitimate patents from frivolous lawsuits
As some New Jersey patent holders may know, filing and receiving a patent is a labor-intensive effort. It requires a written application along with a clear description of the invention. The invention must be new and not previously documented or patented. If it is not new, the application is denied. In order to be approved, the patent application is reviewed by the U.S Patent and Trademark Office in addition to a complete search of the topic and any prior art relevant to the subject.
Varied state IP laws make trade secret understanding vital
Although businesses commonly seek to protect intellectual property assets like company names, many ignore their trade secrets. This information includes data like business processes, methods, patterns and formulas that may be considered valuable because their owners keep them secret and they aren't within the realm of public knowledge. Certain trade secrets, like a list of a New Jersey company's customers that a competitor may want to use for marketing purposes, are distinct from information that could be protected with patents or copyrights.
"The Walking Dead" creator sues group over trademarks
Intellectual property disputes are often tedious affairs that garner little in the way of media interest, but a motion filed in a federal court in New Jersey seeking summary judgement over trademarks may prove to be an exception to this rule. That is because the trademarks in question relate to the hit AMC television series 'The Walking Dead." The creator of the series claims that four individuals are planning to open a theme restaurant in the Garden State based on the popular zombie apocalypse show without his permission.
Supreme Court to hear Samsung-Apple patent battle
People in New Jersey who have been following the ongoing legal battle between smartphone giants Apple and Samsung may be interested in learning that the case will be moving on to the Supreme Court of the United States. On March 21, the nation's highest court agreed to hear the case.
