Opinion Pieces

THE AI PATENT POISON PILL


The tsunami of AI has finally reached us in the real world.  Right now, it’s just a swell that some notice and others ignore.  But it will inundate every aspect of life and business and if you want to understand how these changes will affect your business and your legal rights, read on. In recent months, conversations with clients show that you are probably already  [...]

HOW “CAVEMAN” PATENTS WON “BEST” AWARDS AT SHOT SHOW 2026


Sometimes you need to observe very carefully to notice a pattern.  Other times, it smacks you in the face. We love it when our clients get awards (turns out having successful clients is a pretty good business model, imagine that!)  But sometimes, we’re not surprised. “Best Carbine Award” from Recoil Magazine went to our client Stenzel Industries.  We’ve known  [...]

WHY YOU PROBABLY DON’T NEED A PATENT SEARCH


And the Key Signs That Indicate When You Do I love to give advice, especially when I know my prediction will never be wrong.  My favorite advice is to predict “a 50-50 chance of success,” because no matter the outcome I’m never wrong. My other favorite advice is recommending a patentability search.  Because no matter the results, my client is happy.  If we get  [...]

LET’S GO BRANDIN’!


How to Pick Trademarks That Help You Sell, and Won't Get You Sued One of the most fun parts of my law practice is helping clients pick trademarks.  I don’t charge extra if I come up with an idea you love enough to use on a new product, or for your new company.  I always promise that some day when my portfolio of successful brand picks is impressive enough, I’ll put a  [...]

REMEMBERING THE REMINGTON ROYALTY LESSON


Too Big to Fail? Remington’s Bizarre “Brother, Can You Spare a Dime?” Campaign It was fourteen years ago that I wrote about one of our industry friends playing an interesting voicemail at the SHOT Show. Consider all that has changed since then. These friends are innovators, with some valuable patents in their portfolio. Because Remington liked one of their inventions,  [...]

ARE YOU READY FOR THE SILENT EARTHQUAKE?


Can Ending a $200 Tax Transform the Industry? Just like that, the $200 transfer tax on suppressors (and SBRs etc.) is gone.  Without much fanfare Trump’s Big Beautiful Bill repealed a tax that may prove to have been the primary roadblock to innovation and economic success. I won’t weigh in on the Elon perspective that the Bill spends too much (I tend to agree with  [...]