Determining when a copyright expires, or has expired, is a very difficult process.  Even for an intellectual property attorney. My trademark prosecution flowchart was a real hit, and has helped a great many of my clients, so I thought I … Continue reading →

A Brief Explanation of Reliable Fire Equipment Co. v. Arnold Arredondo, 2011 IL 111871 (2011). For years, there have been different standards for the enforceability of non-compete clauses put forth by various appellate courts in Illinois.  The recent Illinois Supreme … Continue reading →

The state of the United States’ patent system has been pretty static since 1952, other than some case law explaining what can and cannot be patented. However, the system itself hasn’t really changed. The America Invents Act, 125 Stat. 284-341, … Continue reading →

The Stop Online Piracy Act in the House and the Protect IP Act, its counterpart in the Senate, which I’ll refer to both as SOPA, are currently the source of a great deal of controversy. It appears that, currently, the … Continue reading →

Tonight at 6:00 PM, at the Peoria Public Library North Branch, I will be speaking to the Authors of the Heartland regarding possible legal issues that they may be interested in. I will discuss options for protecting their creations, including … Continue reading →

As a lawyer concentrating in high-technology and many internet issues, I’ve often been asked about internet defamation.  Go to google and search your name.  Hopefully you don’t find yourself in a situation where the first result is something slanderous written … Continue reading →

I hear a lot of similar trademark questions from clients, potential clients, and even many other lawyers.  Here, I’m going to try to answer quite a few of them. What exactly is a Trademark or Service Mark? Any mark – … Continue reading →

Yes, You Should Pursue a Judgment, Most of the Time As an Illinois Collection Lawyer, I have had clients wonder whether or not they should pursue judgment against a debtor because of the up-front suit costs.  While I operate on … Continue reading →

The FTC has promagulated a policy statement concerning the collection of debts of the deceased.  The “Statement of Policy Regarding Communications in Connection with the Collection of Decedent’s Debts” will affect all debt collectors, as defined in the Fair Debt … Continue reading →

I recently had a short article published in togamag regarding tenant’s rights in Illinois. It can be viewed here, with permission of togamag.