Dear valued clients and supporters: This month's newsletter will focus on: (1) trademarking website domain names; (2) impact on a business in the event of a divorce; and (3) rethinking employment contracts in light of the recent award of the Nobel Prize in Economic Science.
Contrary to the assumption of many, simply registering the name of a business as a domain name does not give the same protections as trademarking the name itself. Domain name registrants lease, rather than own their website domain names, whereas a trademark grants exclusive use of a particular domain name in commerce nationwide. Thus, businesses who fail to trademark their domain names are much more susceptible to infringement and customer confusion due to another entity using the same or similar name. And many businesses that spend countless resources on their brand (often tied to their websites) could find themselves in a position where they lose their ability to use that domain name resulting from their failure to seek federal trademark protection. For further details on the differences between registering a domain name and a trademark and why businesses should strongly consider the latter, an in-depth article can be found here on our website.
In our newsletter last month, we briefly discussed the need for business owners to prepare themselves in the event of a divorce. A more in-depth article on what steps owners should take to protect their businesses from a divorce is now posted here on our website.
The most recent Nobel Prize in Economic Science was awarded to two professors for their work on improving the design of employment contracts. At the core of Dr. Oliver Hart and Dr. Bengt Homstrom's study were findings that suggested new ways in which businesses should value their employees' contributions and provide incentives to maximize performance. By restructuring its contracts based upon the professors' research, business can more accurately measure and incentivize their employees' performance and provide compensation accordingly. A more in-depth article on this topic will be posted next month here on our website.
Readers are encouraged to follow us on Twitter (@OutsideLegalLLP) and Facebook to receive updates on these and other issues throughout the month.
Disclaimer: Nothing on this website is or should be construed as legal advice. An attorney-client relationship does not exist with our firm unless a signed retainer agreement is executed, and we do not offer legal advice through this site or any of the content located on it. For legal advice for your particular circumstances, please contact us directly.
