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Archive for May, 2010

5 Tips to Protect Your Intellectual Property

Thursday, May 27th, 2010

Every one of us has had brilliant ideas or at least one brilliant idea at some point in time of our life. At times such novel ideas can have a potential and commercially viable business behind them. In case you are one among them who have got such an idea, then this article will provide you some of the most important tips to protect it from being misused by somebody else.

Before you decide on whether your idea actually requires protection or not, ask yourself questions that involve the cost to protect your idea, the practicality in doing so, whether your idea is actually unique or is it a different version of an existing idea, etc. In order to help a person decide whether the idea actually deserves the protection or not it will be worthwhile analyzing five of the most relevant areas in any business:

Copyright – Copyright is nothing but the protection of ideas, software, logos, punch lines, image, etc. Special attention needs to be given to website code and photography which are critical in establishing businesses today. While the creator would be the natural first owner, his or her rights can be transferred in case the first owner assigns a nominee wherein all the rights get transferred to the nominee. However, even in such cases the first owner retains the so-called “Moral Rights” of the business.

Trademarks – Trademarks can be divided into two major types – Registered Trademarks and Non-Registered Trademarks. In case your idea is a brand and you think that it needs to be protected, then the Trademark is meant for you.

Law of confidence – The law of confidence protects the confidential information of any individual, business or organization. The confidential information can be any and all ideas, training material, design, policies etc which need to be protected from misuse and use by unauthorized or external parties.

Domain Names – The domain names are trademarks of modern day businesses. Acquiring registered domains are more economical and simpler nowadays than obtaining trademarks.

Design Rights – Similar to trademarks, design rights can be both registered as well as unregistered. Design rights are usually used in order to prevent somebody else from copying or adapting the design conceptualized by your or by your organization. The registrations of designs are comparatively simpler and easier than that of patents.

Once you have acquired all the above or the most critical of the above, you can leverage your idea or business by licensing all or some of them to third parties that are interested in the same. Once you decide to go the licensing way, ensure that you get into a formal agreement by the way of a licensing agreement so that your ideas are protected adequately.

Criminal Defense Lawyers in Lafayette

Monday, May 17th, 2010

Do some research when choosing a criminal defense lawyer. A criminal legal battle can be a long, arduous road and a lawyer’s ability to defend your case effectively can be a deciding factor as to whether or not you face fines, or worse, jail time. The right lawyer can not only decrease your chance of accruing penalties, they can move your case along efficiently to lower potential court fees.

Do Your Homework

As you go about choosing a criminal defense lawyer, you first need to do some informed research. Scout out reputable law firms that handle criminal defense cases in your local area using internet, or through consulting colleagues, family members, or peers that may have experience or knowledge in legal matters, whether professionally or personally. Individuals should also note that locating a criminal defense lawyer from the jurisdiction of your arrest is important, as well. Fortunately, a whole host of attorney profiles are available to view on this website using our zip code search box, which will guide users directly to a directory of attorneys in that jurisdiction.

Interview your Potential Lawyers

With your narrowed down list of lawyers, the next phase of choosing a criminal defense lawyer involves interviewing your potentials. Take note of their experience handling criminal defense cases like yours. Be aware of how many specific questions they ask you about your case and see how much of an explanation they give you about what to expect during a trial. Also, discuss the firm’s fees and how they are billed during the process.

Many law firms have whole departments that cover specific areas of the law and can roll cases between several different lawyers, depending on case volume and experience. Be sure that you will be represented by the lawyer you interviewed about your case.

How Do You Proceed?

Open communication is vital in any legal case, but lack of it can drastically, and negatively, affect a criminal defense. Knowing how to contact your lawyer when the need arises can alleviate a lot of the possible stressors you may face along the way. During the interview, obtain any and all possible contact information from your lawyer including email addresses, phone numbers and fax lines. Ask if they have an assistant that will be working with them on the case and write down all their contact information as well.

Justice can only be obtained when both sides in a criminal case have competent legal representation. For this reason, it is critical to call the criminal defense law office of James Kirk Piccione in Lafayette. Attorney Kirk Piccione has been practicing law and engaging in criminal defense for over 20 years. He is one of only 10 attorneys in the city of Lafayette certified by the Louisiana Supreme Court to handle death penalty cases.

Lafayette lawyer James Kirk Piccione represents people accused of crimes & facing criminal charges in many areas, including DUI, drug crimes, misdemeanor, felonies, assault & battery and white-collar crimes. If you or a loved one face a criminal charge in Lafayette or any part of Louisiana, obtaining a lawyer well versed in criminal law is vital to your freedom and your future. Attorney James Kirk Piccione is qualified and respected in the Louisiana legal community. At the Lafayette law firm of James Kirk Piccione, their commitment is to provide aggressive, competent, legal representation to clients. Call the Lafayette criminal defense law firm today contact them online today.