You open your inbox and find a letter demanding that you immediately stop using a business name, photograph, design, song, software, confidential information or other intellectual property. The letter alleges that you have infringed another party's rights, requires certain action by a specific deadline and threatens legal proceedings if you fail to comply. What should you do? Alternatively, you may be the business or rights holder on the other side. You discover that another

One of the most valuable investments a business can make before launching a new product, service, or company is conducting a trademark clearance search. Whether you are adopting a business name, product name, logo, slogan, or other brand identifier, determining whether the proposed trademark is available for use should be one of the very first steps in your branding strategy. Investing in marketing, packaging, websites, signage, and advertising before confirming that a trad