(And, the Hilarious Lawyer Letter I Never Got to Send) One of the things I love best about my work is working for creative inventors and firearms business owners. One of the things I love least is dealing with some of the “other” lawyers out there. The saga begins when one of my oldest and favorite clients had me file a trademark application to secure the trademark [...]
The Surprises and Secrets of Non-Disclosure Agreements (NDA) Photo Credit: Oleg Volk In the patent world, one of the most important, yet surprisingly overrated, issues is secrecy. Yet while it’s a needless fear for many, it can make sense to protect yourself when you have to trust someone else with your secrets. An NDA (Non-Disclosure Agreement) is also known as a [...]
It’s a story I have told for years: I had lunch with a new client. He has some great technology, and a strong foundation for a new business. And I faced the too-frequent dilemma when confronted by a lousy trademark he wanted to adopt. Do I tell him my actual opinion, or do I salute and earn the reward of helping him register a weak brand name that will impair the [...]
Gossip, Tips, and Hacks After My 22nd SHOT-iversary Serenity on the 10th Floor? This was easily the best SHOT Show ever. After 22 years, I’m starting to get the hang of it. (Confession: I now count my SHOT Show attendance years to include the Covid year and the skipped mask mandate year. My first was 2002, and that’s where I count from.) My show is [...]
Most people aren’t afraid to invest in what they need, but few people want to learn later that they overpaid, or didn’t get a good value. So even though it’s the first time I’ve been asked the question, I can understand why a careful entrepreneur would ask it. He’s simply asking: “Please tell me why I’m not a sucker to pay you what seems like ten times what [...]
As we approach the SHOT Show, it’s important to get your legal ducks in a row, to be sure you aren’t losing valuable rights, or weakening the rights you already have. Time is short so action may be urgent, but the action needed may be simpler, faster, and cheaper than you think. Pre-SHOT Patent Advice Preserve your patent rights. The best NDA is a pending patent [...]
