A lot of potential customers have been asking about content samples from the law clientele we serve. We can’t link to them because we always protect the identity of the firms using BlogMutt. (They may be telling their mothers that they wrote the posts themselves!)
So we have these posts for you that a BlogMutt writer created for a real client, but they were never used because the firm changed specialties. The usual links and keywords we include and any references to the firm itself have been removed. The posts are designed to show the general level of quality of writing that you can expect.
Can a group of writers who wrote these posts for an intellectual property firm also write for your litigation, family practice, business law, legislative affairs, criminal defense or contracts law firm? Yes! Remember, the blog is not the legal expert, it’s a bridge from the expert (you) to your audience of clients and potential clients. It’s like “small talk” on the internet. Our writers have created thousands of unique blog posts for hundreds of clients, and we can do the same for you, too.
Here are the posts:
Will the new Patent Laws Affect Your Business?
The America Invents Act, which was signed into law on September 16, is the biggest reform of American patent law in years. But what exactly does the new law entail, and how might it affect you?
The legislation is getting a lot of press right now, and the prevailing sentiment seems to be that it doesn’t do nearly enough.
For a basic rundown, we like the way this article from PCWorld summarizes the key points of the law, including some pros and cons of each provision.
One major change made by the new legislation is that patents will be granted to whichever party files for the patent first. In the past, inventors had to prove they were the first to come up with the idea.
Another substantial development is the creation of a special “micro entity” status for inventors with fewer than five previous patent applications and a limited household income, among other requirements. This will benefit individual inventors by reducing the fees required to file a patent.
The America Invents Act is being criticized, however, for failing to address other potential areas of reform, such as software patents and patent trolls. And although the legislation offers a new way to challenge bad patents, the way this is implemented will make it difficult for the average person to do so:
Strict time limits on these challenges, in particular, mean that constant vigilance is required in order to challenge a patent in time to be considered. Once again, only the big guys with their well-paid legal staffs will likely be able to do this quickly enough, putting small businesses at a disadvantage once again.
As business attorneys with expertise in intellectual property, we’re here to help you navigate the ins and outs of the new patent legislation and what it means to you.
If you’d like to speak to experienced, tech-savvy attorneys about patent law or any other legal aspect of your business, please contact us.
Ask Your Business Attorney About the Can Spam Act
Your business attorney will say,”No, you CAN’T Spam.”
Here’s why:
“Each separate email in violation of the CAN-SPAM Act is subject to penalties of up to $16,000, so non-compliance can be costly.”
Source: Bureau of Consumer Protection
That last phrase seems a little oxymoronic, doesn’t it? When you are a startup or very small business $16,000 might be your annual budget. And it is why you need to take time to understand the regulatory compliance requirements before sending out any communications marketing your new company.
CAN-SPAM Act Overview
- Don’t use false or misleading header information. Anywhere. This means everything from the “To:” line to the routing information within the email.
- Don’t use deceptive subject lines. Not only is this against CAN-SPAM, it’s very irritating to recipients. Not a good way to start a relationship.
- Identify your message as an ad. Being completely transparent is the only way to go.
- Tell recipients the address where you are located. This can lend legitimacy to your email, and is required by the law.
- Tell recipients how to opt out of future email from you. Not everyone wants to hear about it until they have a need.
- Honor opt-out requests promptly. With today’s technology there is no excuse for being unable to take someone off a mailing list as soon as they select “opt-out.”
- Monitor what others are doing on your behalf. As a start-up or online business you may be outsourcing everything. Make sure your third parties are following the rules, too.
Many email service vendors will help or insist you comply with CAN-SPAM and make it easy to do so.
And CAN-SPAM doesn’t just apply to bulk email. It applies to any commercial message distributed by electronic mail.
I hope this overview of one of the many regulatory compliance issues for business has been helpful to you. YOUR Law Group is happy to help you sort through this and any other laws about finding the best ways to comply.
Contact us to learn more.
