(Trade)Marking Your Territory

By: Jon Avidor and Sarah Siegel A strong trademark or service mark can become a valuable asset for your business, so when you come up with a great name or memorable tagline for your product or service, it makes sense to register the trademark. Common law trademark rights originate from use in commerce so all […]

I’ve Seen the Future, and It’s Voice Activated

By: Steve Masur Smartphones are awesome. But aren’t you sick of looking at the tiny screen, especially if you wear glasses? A hundred times a day you stop in your tracks to navigate some groovy mobile interface to get a tiny piece of information—an address, a gate number, maybe a change in direction. The screen […]

New York Takes a Chance on a Game of Skill

By Steve Masur and Sarah Siegel   How the distinction between skill and chance gave rise to a billion-dollar industry In daily fantasy sports games, players are not placing “wagers” on the odds of winning based on the number of people playing; they’re paying “entry fees” to compete in a guaranteed prize pool where the […]

You, Me, and 83(b)

By: Jon Avidor Imagine you’re at a cocktail party with a circle of sophisticated, seasoned startup investors and you get caught in a conversation about 83(b) elections, finding yourself completely out of your depth. What you do next is critical: First, get out of there. Nobody deserves to be subjected to party conversation about tax […]

Legal Alert for Online Service Providers

By: Jon Avidor On December 1, 2016, the U.S. Copyright Office rolled out its new electronic registration system and directory for registered agents under the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (“DMCA”). This shift from paper filings to an online platform requires any service provider with a designated agent prior to November 30, 2016 to reregister its […]

The Name of the Game is the Name Game

By: Jon Avidor Our client, who makes virtual reality entertainment apps, forwarded an e-mail from a private investigator. “Is this for real?” they asked. The PI had offered to purchase their URL for 6 figures. The deal was so good that we presumed the offer must be coming from a Nigerian prince, or maybe a […]