Knowledge Center
Resources to help you start, grow, and maintain your business.
Starting Your Business
Resources to Start your Business
Starting your own business can be one of the greatest joys in life. But for first-time entrepreneurs it can be an endeavor filled with unexpected challenges and potential pitfalls. Full Article >>>
We are often asked by our customers ‘What type of entity should I use for my new business and where should I form it?’ Although the this is a simple question, the answer typically depends upon what type of business you intend to open. Full Article >>>
What’s an LLC? Is it right for your new business? How do I form an LLC? Find answers to common questions here. Full FAQs >>>
Trademarks
Protect your Trademark(s)
I am often asked do I need a trademark for my slogan? Can I patent my idea? How do I keep others from copying seminar materials that I have written? Well, here’s a primer for what all small business owners should know to protect their valuable intellectual property assets. Full Article >>>
A U.S. federal trademark registration is your business’s most important asset. It’s how consumers in the marketplace identify your goods and services apart from those of your competitors. It’s also invaluable in stopping your competitors from adopting trademarks that are confusingly similar to yours. Full Article >>>
We are often asked for suggestions on how to select a great trademark by our start-up business customers. The response is always the same, “It depends on what you want out of your trademark.” Full Article >>>
We love McDonald’s. If we could we would eat there three meals a day, seven days a week, 365 days per year. McDonald’s has been with us throughout our lives from when were children of the seventies watching Ronald McDonald to when we developed the concept for TTC Business Solutions in the early nineties. Full Article >>>
A few years ago we were approached by an online nutraceutical company to assist them in the enforcement of their trademarked product lines. The company came to us after a prolonged period of watching their monthly sales decline and finally suspecting that one of their competitors was somehow stealing some of their customers. More specifically… Full Article >>>
In 2003 the United States signed the Madrid Protocol treaty permitting the holders of U.S. trademark applications and/or registrations to extend their U.S. trademark rights globally into over 80 countries around the world simply by filing requests to do so through the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. Full Article >>>
What is a trademark? How do you get rights in a trademark? How do you register your trademark? Full FAQs >>>
Industry-Specific Information
White Papers for Your Industry
Marketing Agencies have an incredibly difficult job. They are tasked with creating logos, slogans, and campaigns that will instantly grab the attention of the consumer, hold it, and allow them then to pitch their clients’ wares ultimately concluding in a sale or greater brand recognition. However, many marketers are unaware of… Full Article >>>
Businesses rely upon their trademarks to distinguish their goods and services from their competitors. Whether a consumer is looking to buy a hamburger, purchase a pair of shoes, or just order their favorite brand of beer, they quickly and easily identify what they want by the brand’s trademark. Full Article >>>
Size matters in the computer industry, or at least that’s what we were once told. Computer hard drives once could be measured in megabytes. But as the size of programs and operating systems grew they moved to gigabytes. Soon we were told we would need to have storage measured in terabytes to accommodate the latest programs. But then… Full Article >>>
Did you know that there are generally three areas of intellectual property law in the United States: Copyrights, Patents, and Trademarks? Did you know that 2 out of 3 of these areas of law can work to jewelers’ benefit to protect not only their brands but the individual designs of their jewelry? Many jewelers are… Full Article >>>
Small businesses are the backbone of America. Often, however, small businesses struggle to find answers to critical questions about legal issues which can affect their ability to grow.We know what that is like. We were there once too. Full Article >>>
Patents
Secure your Patents(s)
Registering a patent can be be a complicated process. To this end, we have written this article to help you to understand the process of protecting your unique invention. Full Article >>>
Enforcement
Enforce Your Rights
It happens all the time. An entrepreneur starts a business, with the perfect name, brand, and domain. They set up a fan page on Facebook. Then they organize the entity, pouring time and resources into the project. And then, the unthinkable happens. A cease and desist letter arrives in the mailbox, demanding they stop what they’re … Full Article >>>
Many years ago we assisted a Belgium chocolatier who had built a reputation for producing the finest chocolate in the world. But, as they soon found out, often the sweet taste of success is followed by the bitter realization that others will try and capitalize off of your hard work and dedication. As fate would… Full Article >>>
Did you know you can use your federally registered copyrights and trademarks to block the importation of infringing goods from entering the U.S.? In 2012 the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (“CBP”) made 22,848 intellectual property rights seizures with a manufacturer’s suggested retail value of $1.26 billion. Could this be affecting your business? Full Article >>>
Trademarks serve to identify the source of your goods and services. From time to time, however, others will seek to benefit from your hard work in developing your brand. How? They use a trademark that is confusingly similar to yours and then, borrowing on the good will you have built in your brand, begin to steal… Full Article >>>
Copyrights
Register Your Copyright(s)
Individuals are often confused by the distinctions between copyrights, patents, and trademarks. In this article, we explain the basis for copyright protection, what can be protected under U.S. Copyright laws, and the benefits of registering your work with the U.S. Copyright Office. What Is Protected Under U.S. Copyright Law? A Copyright is a… Full Article >>>
What is a Copyright? What does it protect? How do you register one? Find answers to common questions here. Full FAQs >>>