• IP BLAWG

    Trade Secrets, Confidentiality Agreements and Non-Competition Agreements

    Beverly A. Berneman
    5/1/24

    In Brief:  The Federal Trade Commission takes aim at non-competes leaving the fate of protecting trade secrets in the balance.

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  • IP BLAWG

    Fake Influencer Followers Means Real Consequences

    Beverly A. Berneman
    1/8/20

    Influencers are individuals who have authority, knowledge, a position or a relationship that gives them the power to affect purchase decisions of others. Given the relationship between the number of an influencer’s followers and the influencer’s value, it’s no surprise that an enterprising entrepreneur could help influencers increase the number of their followers.

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  • IP BLAWG

    Do Not Pass Go and Do Not Collect License Fees

    Beverly A. Berneman
    12/10/19

    Qualcomm is a leader in the market of wireless chip connectivity that every cell phone needs. Qualcomm holds patents related to 3G, 4G and 5G networking technology as well as other software. Qualcomm demanded a license fee for every device that connects to a cellular network. In other words, all cell phones. It forced its customers, like Apple, to enter into patent license agreements for Qualcomm’s technology; even if the customer was using a chip manufactured by someone else, like Intel.

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  • IP BLAWG

    I Love This Game (Someone Paid Me to Say This)

    Beverly A. Berneman
    4/26/16

    The FTC had a problem with Machinima, Inc. for not telling anyone that it paid people to post endorsements. %CUT% Machinima describes itself as the dominant network for fandom and video gamer culture. Its services include distribution, support and monetization of YouTube channels. Things went sideways for Machinima when it paid ‘influencers’ to post YouTube videos that were supposed to be objective opinions about Microsoft’s Xbox One system. The FTC issued an administrative complaint against Machinima for failing to adequately disclose that the influencers were being paid for their opinions. Jessica Rich, Director of the Bureau of Consumer Protection summed it up well. “When people see a product touted online, they have a right to know whether they’re looking at an authentic opinion or a paid marketing pitch. . . That’s true whether the endorsement appears in a video or any other media.” The FTC and Machinima have agreed to settle. Machinima will be prohibited from similar deceptive conduct in the future and it must ensure its influencers clearly disclose when they have been compensated in exchange for their endorsements.

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