Articles

5 November 2024 · Articles, Confidential Information, Knowledge, Knowledge Transfer, M&A Due Diligence, NDA, Partnerships, Tech Transfer, Trade secrets

$605M for Trade Secret Theft of ‘Innovative Approach to Selling Renewable Fuels’

The jury also found that the trade secret theft was willful and malicious, allowing the Court to potentially triple the total damages! Choose your partners carefully. You are flattered when Big Co who also happens to provide your major route to market offers to buy your business. It has been 13 years of hard slog […]

22 October 2024 · Articles, Brand, IP Strategy, Trademark

Google Made The Calculated Decision To Bulldoze Their Trademark Rights

What can you do when Big Co decides they like your name? In 2021 there were 750 companies registered at UK Companies House with Meta in their name. Did Facebook care when they changed their name to Meta? Well they cared enough to spend $60m buying up the trademark assets of U.S. regional bank Meta […]

Information is at risk even after signing an NDA

15 October 2024 · Articles, Confidential Information, Knowledge Transfer, NDA, Partnerships, Trade secrets

Information Floods Out Of Your Business After An NDA

‘We have an NDA so it is fine we can share everything’! How much value is being lost from your business via sensitive information and knowledge being shared with partners with whom you have an NDA? An NDA is not a cover all. Ideally an NDA is nothing more than a ‘permit to have a […]

9 October 2024 · Articles

Protecting Valuable and Sensitive Information When Non Competes Crumble

As non-competes become less reliable, trade secrets are more critical than ever for protecting your valuable and sensitive information like strategies, customer information, product designs, and specialised know-how. On October 16th at 5pm BST I’ll be joining @Chris Buntel and moderated by @Tim Londergan in a discussion hosted by @Tangibly on how businesses can navigate […]

8 October 2024 · Articles, Brand, Trademark

Deliberate Trademark Infringement by Nike?

Deliberate Trademark Infringement by Nike? Big Co knowingly infringes Small Co’s trademark expecting to go to court and win because it could outspend smaller Co? This is what Judge Greenspan said in a trademark fight between Nike and a company called Lontex over the brand Cool Compression. It is a strategy but not one that […]

5 October 2024 · Articles, Brand, Copyright, Influencer, Music, Social Media

Social Media Influencer Declared Bankrupt After Post With Abba

Social Media Influencer Katrin Szymborska’s company declared bankrupt in August 2024. The same year she received two hefty fines, contributing to the demise of her company. Fined for Using Music on Social Media She was fined 1m SEK for hidden advertising i.e. not declaring her paid promotions, then in June this year for using Abba […]

27 September 2024 · Articles

Recycling The Old Legs and Laughs

We did it. We managed a tour 14 years after the last one. Until 20120 we used to do a 4 day trip every year for but life got in the way. Last November we met for our usual drinks (that never stopped!) and committed to getting the bikes back on the road again. I […]

18 September 2024 · Articles, Brand, Trademark

Easy Trademark When You Know How

Why invite trouble when you choose your name? ‘Easy’ anything is going to get challenged by Stelios and his easyGroup lawyers so why would you even bother? Change Your Name? Pop group Easy Life had to change their name to Hard Life after a trademark contest with easyGroup. easyGroup is the owner of more than […]

18 September 2024 · Articles

The Smiths Trademark Makes Morrissey Miserable Now

Johnny Marr has run off and registered The Smiths trademark in his name without telling Morrissey! Morrissey is not happy saying: “Amongst many other things, this means that Marr can now tour as The Smiths using the vocalist of his choice, and it also prohibits Morrissey from using the name whilst also denying Morrissey considerable […]

4 September 2024 · Articles, IP Strategy, M&A Due Diligence

Why A List of IP Is Important in M&A?

I am John Pryor, making IP accessible and valuable for your business. The Benefit of Hindsight UpfrontTM Innovation Without IP Is Charity IP Provides Defence From Unlicensed Offence Leads To Secure Revenue. The Best Defence Is A Good Offence. Intellectual Property Is A Business Construct To Enable The Sharing Of Ideas And Other Creations Of […]

3 September 2024 · Articles, Cyber Security, Partnerships, Tech Transfer

Do Your Customers Treat Your Information and Trade Secrets With Care?

Was a cyber security weak spot for the US Department of Defence one of their suppliers?! Yes, they signed the NDA and had a long standing contract. But did they have the same processes and culture? The US government just sued Georgia Tech University for not using anti virus software despite signing US Department of […]

2 September 2024 · Articles, Brand, NDA, Partnerships, Trade secrets

Former Partners Paying Lip Service To Trade Secrets End Up In Court

Partnership With Starbucks Loses Gloss Over Trade Secrets Loss Red Flag When Partner Refuses To Sign NDA ? Just who had the idea first? Coffee flavoured lipstick and lip gloss. Balmuccino say Starbucks refused to sign an NDA in 2017 when they presented the coffee flavoured lipstick concept, later running off and developing it for themselves. […]