Listen to my interview here on the David Lawrence radio show (August 08, 2007) on:
- the basics of trademark piracy claims
- whether there is any justification for the notion that copying a brand is anything other than stealing
- why businesses based on not coming up with their own designs have any place in our market place
- do American consumers really not get that buying pirated goods (whether its a digital song or a clothing item) is no different than having your own ’stuff’ pilfered.
- do you agree that copying is stealing or a form of flattery? Isn’t the flattery argument a ruse?

Let me know your thoughts.

Negotiating: Are you a creator, technologist or business? Or all three? Gregory’s transactional practice focuses on preparing and negotiating a diverse set of agreements to commercialize, develop and distribute software and information technology. Gregory has also negotiated publishing, music and software agreements related to various formats for first time and New York Times best seller authors. My experience includes general commercial and contractual law issues, in and out licensing and distribution agreements, technology development and maintenance agreements, agreements for technology-related consulting services, telecommunications services and complex information technology outsourcing agreements. Current and former clients include public and private entities in business ranging from managed infrastructure service providers, to embedded OS and consumer products developers, to Palm software applications.

Branding: Clients have relied on us for years to help them choose a brand, search for, apply for and negotiate trademark in particular and brands in general. For more on this, read about the whats, how this works, the whys and the wherefors. “Brand,” in my opinion, is short hand for the trigger a business uses to get a target customer or partner to react to the business’ product or service offering. If your target doesn’t react to what you’re using as your branding, you might not have an effective brand. Trademarks, are legal things that result first from use of some thing - generally a mark, logo, sound, color in association with the good or service. There are many strong brands that are not good trademarks (anymore at least) and there are many trademarks that no one knows as a brand.