Links and Other Useful Information

This page is for things that I think might be interesting to business people and lawyers. I plan to update it regularly.  Note that all of the written materials are protected by copyright. These materials are provided for information only and do not constitute nor should they be taken as legal advice.

TRADEMARK WEB SITES

The United States Patent and Trademark Office has a tremendous web site that is packed with information about trademarks.   

The premier trade association for trademark owners and professionals is the International Trademark Association.  Most of their content is, unfortunately, only for members.   

There are many very good blogs on trademark law.  Some of my favorites are below.  I will be supplementing this list as the mood strikes me. 

• John Welch's TTABlog is THE resource for watching what is going on at the TTAB.  John has a new post every morning.  How he finds time for that is a mystery to me but his dedication is appreciated.

• Lara Pearson's Brand Geek blog always has something snappy to say.

• Martin Schwimmer's The Trademark Blog has solid insights into trademark happenings.

• Pacific Northwest and Ninth Circuit cases are covered by Michael Atkins' The Seattle Trademark Lawyer.

• Georgetown University Law School Professor Rebecca Tushnet’s Section 43 (B) blog is an excellent resource for developments on Lanham Act false advertising (and more) cases and issues.

There is an ongoing discussion on a variety of topics on the e-trademarks ListServ hosted by Carl Oppedahl.  Contact him to subscribe: carl@oppedahl.com.  INTA has very good discussion groups for its members called My Personal Network.

Many countries have their own electronic databases that can be accessed from the internet.  The Community Trademark Office (OHIM) is building a Community-wide base called TMView.  You should be careful when doing international searches because the rules vary by country and language differences should always be considered.

ALCOHOL BEVERAGE WEB SITES

The Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau has a very informative site explaining all of their laws and regulations.  The site also has basic information about exporting to various countries.

The California Wine Institute has a very informative site about wine and wine law.  Note that some of the more comprehensive information is limited to members. 

The Distilled Spirits Council and the Beer Institute also have very informative sites for distilled spirits and beer, respectively.

The Napa firm of Dickenson, Peatman & Fogarty has a wine law blog called Lex Vini that is updated regularly with recent developments in wine law.

COPYRIGHT WEB SITES

If you want to know all about copyright law, look no further than the Copyright Office's web site.

PLEADINGS, DECISIONS AND OTHER NEAT STUFF

I have provided copies of some of my presentations, speeches and writings in the About Me section. In this section I plan to post pleadings, decisions and other documents that might be interesting.

I have recorded training videos for business executives on Managing Litigation Costs, Basic Intellectual Property, and Basic Trademark Law.  These can be viewed (for a modest fee) at CenterPoint Corporate Services, a web site for small businesses.

CONSULTANTS AND EXPERTS

I have an extensive network of trademark lawyers across the globe who are available to assist clients in their registration and enforcement issues.  I also have a network of various consulting experts in the United States who assist in litigation matters.

I have also had the pleasure of working with so many wonderful people over the years.  Here are some who do really good work -- and who are also very nice people.

VSOP Management is the "one stop shopping" firm for global wine brand development, marketing, sourcing and business strategy.

Elksford Trademark Consulting is a startup owned by a former Board Member of the International Trademark Association and Director of Trademarks for a billion dollar global pharmaceutical company.  She offers expert consulting on portfolio management and related services.  susan@elksfordtm.com.

Chickadee Branding offers a variety of branding and marketing consulting servicesin the United States and Canada.

Foundations PR offers branding, consulting, marketing, design, public relations and related services in a variety of luxury goods fields. 

KW Stragems offers smart, insightful and informed consumer research.

Volckmann + Friends offers branding, media, consulting, and design services in a variety of fields.

Richard Gahagan, a former ATF/TTB executive, can help with anything related to Federal and California licensing and regulatory issues.