I was recently contacted to represent an individual who was a victim of fraud when he learned that somebody he trusted sold his real estate without his knowledge or consent. He transferred his property to this individual he trusted in trust for a limited purpose. This person then sold his property to a sophisticated real
If you are a victim of a fraudulent real estate claim there are certain things you need to consider. I recently received a call about a fiduciary relationship where the fiduciary sold real property belonging to the trusted partner without their knowledge or consent. The property was sold to a third party who apparently knew
Last week, we discussed how intellectual property theft from China has been called an “emergency” by the Department of Justice. An emergency was declared because trade secret theft siphons off hundreds of billions of dollars from American companies every year. According to a 2013 report by the Commission on the Theft of American Intellectual Property, trade secret theft is
The Department of Justice (DoJ) has called Chinese intellectual property theft a “national security emergency” that has cost American companies hundreds of billions of dollars and two million jobs. According to the DoJ, Chinese espionage has stolen intellectual property from thousands of American companies. Can American companies fight back against the entire intelligence apparatus of
Craft breweries, distilleries and vineyards are becoming more experienced with trademark litigation after a series of lawsuits within the alcoholic beverages industry. Many trademark battles within the alcoholic beverages industry involve labeling and branding. For example, Lagunitas filed a complaint against Sierra Nevada over its Hop Hunter IPA. According to Lagunitas, the label on Sierra Nevada’s
Hoverboards have become enormously successful at two things since being released for the holiday season last year: consumer sales and causing injuries. These products are also known as battery-powered self-balancing scooters. The negative media attention surrounding hoverboards has caused manufacturers of similar products to take notice. Segway and its parent company Ninebot, along with DEKA,
Paramount Pictures recently sued a pair of crowdfunded producers who are attempting to release the first independent Star Trek film. The project, which reportedly has the backing of former Star Trek actor George Takei, secured more than $1 million of funding from backers on Kickstarter and IndieGoGo. Paramount Pictures spent tens of millions of dollars creating a new series
Pepperidge Farm, the creator of Milano Cookies, is suing national supermarket chain Trader Joe’s over allegations of trademark infringement. The lawsuit was filed over claims Trader Joe’s had manufactured knockoff Milano cookies. Pepperidge Farm has argued Trader Joe’s Crispy Cookies look very similar to Milano Cookies. If this lawsuit were filed over regular chocolate chip cookies,
Lucasfilm has a long history of intellectual property lawsuits that shows the importance of protecting your brand. The film giant has taken on the Ronald Reagan Administration, Verizon, a dedicated fan and many others over allegations of trademark infringement. Lucasfilm once sued the Strategic Defense Initiative, otherwise known as the Star Wars Program. The Star
U.S. presidential candidate Donald Trump is famous for trademarking various phrases, and even his own name. The GOP frontrunner and real estate magnate has trademarked campaign slogans, his name, famous New York City landmarks, catchphrases from his television shows and made-up political terminology. Donald Trump trademarked Central Park, a famous New York City landmark, for
