The Foundry Law Blog

Is it Plagiarism to Use Chat GPT or Other AI Language Models?

The short answer is that it depends on what type of content you’re using the models to generate and whether you properly acknowledge the original source of your content.  In general, plagiarism is the act of presenting someone else’s work or ideas as your own without giving proper credit. Given this definition, there may be […]

What Does “Human” Element Mean as it Applies to Copyright?

The U.S. Copyright Office will only register a work of authorship if that work is “eligible” for copyright protection. The “human” element to copyright is essentially one element for copyright eligibility. In short, the element requires that a work of authorship be created by a human being before it can be copyrighted. The Copyright Office […]

Hey, Foundry: are you now in Spokane?

Yes. Foundry Law Group is excited to announce its expansion into Spokane, Washington with the hiring of Spokane-based business attorney, Asif Lundstrom.  “I joined Foundry because the firm’s culture and approach to the practice of law is unique and reminds me a lot of the high-growth tech companies I previously worked for: agile, client-centric, and […]

Three questions to resolve before you enter a potential acquisition

One of my favorite parts about being an attorney at Foundry is the firm’s acquisition practice. Whether we are representing the buyer or seller, acquisitions are an exciting, pivotal moment for our clients. However, acquisitions are also stressful for clients: a lot of money is involved and the “what if” and “what about” considerations are […]

What Does Indemnity Mean and How Does it Impact my Business?

“Indemnity” is a legal term that often arises in discussions and dealings with business contracts. The term means that if one party to a contract suffers a loss because of a second party’s conduct, the second party has to compensate the first party. Please note, though, that the specific scope and effect of an indemnity […]

Trade Secret Basics – Protect Your Company’s Confidential Information

  A “trade secret” is generally defined as a piece of confidential information belonging to a company that provides the business with a competitive advantage in the marketplace. A few common examples include recipes, formulas, or presentations. While trade secrets can prove invaluable to a company’s success, owners must take appropriate steps to ensure their […]

Trademark Modernization Act: Overview

  On December 27, 2020, the Trademark Modernization Act (“TMA”) was signed into law, making changes—some effective immediately—to the Lanham Act. Among the changes, some specifically important ones to note are:   New and more expeditious procedures for ex parte expungement and reexamination of deadwood marks from the federal register; Changes to office action response periods; […]

Can you Trademark a Hashtag? When Your ™ is a #hashtag

It may go without saying, but #hashtags are a vital part of attracting the right eyes to your social media marketing efforts. However, what happens when your #hashtag becomes associated with your particular brand of goods or services? Is it now a trademark? Can (and should) you obtain federal trademark protection for your mark? This […]

Amazon Brand Registry – What it is and How to Enroll

Brand Protection Among the various brand protection services offered by Amazon, such as Transparency, an item-level tracing service to help protect against counterfeits, is Amazon Brand Registry. This is a suite of tools available to proactively protect and give more control to brands. What is Amazon Brand Registry Amazon’s Brand Registry has been improving over the […]

Does my startup need Patent or Trade Secret protection on its IP?

One of my favorite responses to any question is: “I guess I’ll have to answer your question with another question.”  It’s probably the reason people generally avoid me at parties, but so often when giving any advice, it makes more sense to leave the decision in the hands of the person with the most intimate […]