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FAA and DOT to Require Registration for Drones, Additional Rules Coming Soon

dronesIn an effort to improve the accountability of drone users, the U.S. Department of Transportation has announced plans to require drone users to register their "unmanned aircraft systems." Additionally, Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx and FAA Administrator Michael Huerta announced the creation of a task force to finalize the details of the registration system, including which drones must be registered. The task force may create a streamlined process for commercial drone users and recommend additional rules by November 20, 2015.  Read More ›

Categories: News

Does my Small Business Need to Protect its Intellectual Property?

There are four basic kinds of intellectual property that you can protect: trademarks, copyrights, patents and trade secrets. At the very early stages of starting a business you will want to protect your business name or brand through a trademark. Learn more about intellectual property basics and what you need to protect, in the Youtube video below.

Categories: Copyright, Intellectual Property, Patents, Trade Secrets, Trademarks

What is a Covenant not to Compete?

Employers often seek to enter into a covenant not to compete with employees. In many cases, the covenant is the best way to protect the employer from future harm.  Also, many purchase agreements include covenants not to compete. Learn about covenants not to compete in the video below.

Categories: Intellectual Property, Startup

Financing Your Vision

What does a startup entrepreneur need to know about financing a company? The entrepreneur needs to work with an adviser or accountant to create a realistic budget. Watch the video below to learn more about your options.

Categories: Crowdfunding, Startup, Venture Capital/Funding

Forming a Business Entity

Why should someone form a business entity? The main reason is to protect themselves from personal liability. Other benefits include attracting investors, marketing the company, maybe saving in taxes and helping to sell or transfer the company to a third party or other family members. Learn more about business entities and the benefits of forming a business entity in the short video clip below.


Foster Swift business attorneys realize entrepreneurs and business owners have many legal questions so we've developed a library of short videos to provide basic legal information on some of the more frequently asked questions. Click here to view our video library.

Categories: Startup, Tax

How to Protect Your Business's Intellectual Property

Sam Frederick and John Mashni, both attorneys for Foster Swift, will be presenting a live webinar on how to protect your business's intellectual property on Tuesday, September 15, 2015 at the Lansing Regional Chamber Board Room. The webinar will be held from 8 a.m. to 9:30 a.m.

They will discuss copyright, trademark and trade secret basics and the importance of monitoring and enforcing your intellectual property rights. Frederick and Mashni will also present the best practices for protecting your intellectual property.

For more information and to register for the webinar, click here (We have identified that the following link is no longer active, and it has been removed.)

Categories: Intellectual Property, Patents, Trade Secrets, Trademarks

Get It In Writing: Contracts

Let's say you are going to get into business or enter into an agreement with someone you trust. Do you need to get it in writing? It is always a good idea to have a written agreement. Writing provides clarity. Even the process of working through what you have agreed to, to the point of reducing it to writing, will help you think more precisely about what you have agreed to do and what the other side has agreed to and to articulate better the terms of the agreement. Learn more about why you need to get it in writing in the video below.

Categories: IT Contracts

Patent Basics

So you just had a Eureka moment and your epiphany is going to make you millions as soon as it hits shelves. Learn more about patent basics in this short video including:

Categories: Intellectual Property, Patents

What's in a Name: Selecting a Name for Your Business

Why is a business name so important? A name is everything, it is your business's identity. When you select your business name, from a legal perspective, you need to come up with a unique name, a name that does not infringe on others rights. Unique names are the easiest to protect. Learn more about protecting you business name in the video below:

Categories: Intellectual Property, Trademarks

Why You Should Register Your Copyrights: The Benefits of Registration Under The Copyright Act

copyright actA copyright is automatically created upon the completion of an original work of authorship that is fixed in a tangible medium of expression. While an automatic copyright protects that work, a formal registration of copyrighted materials within three months of release to the general public provides extra benefits that can prove extremely valuable to the owner. These benefits serve to not only protect the copyrighted work, but also to provide additional remedies for the author in the event of infringement. Registering a copyright is as simple as submitting an application to the United States Copyright Office with a minimal filing fee and a copy of the copyrighted material. Then, once the work is registered, the benefits begin immediately. Read More ›

Categories: Copyright, Intellectual Property