Counterfeiting Is IP Theft That Is Steadily Growing

Counterfeiting is intellectual property theft that continues to proliferate our lives. An alarming flow of counterfeit merchandise is flooding the US marketplace, with sales reaching over $1.82 trillion in 2020. The sale and scale of counterfeits are growing at a...

Can NFT’s Strengthen Your Intellectual Property?

Non-fungible tokens (NFT) have been around since 2014 but have recently enjoyed increased popularity. Just four months ago, Christie’s auction house sold its first pure digital work for $69 million, setting the record for the highest-paid NFT. What is an NFT? It is...

Is It Easier To Ask Forgiveness Or Permission? Celebrity Image

What Does the Lanham Act Say Regarding Trademark Infringement? There are high stakes in the world of brand protection when you use a celebrity’s persona in advertising without their approval. A celebrity’s fame and respect gained through years of work in the public...

Balancing Intellectual Property Rights: Can You Patent The Sun?

Balancing intellectual property rights concerning the COVID 19 vaccine while serving the public good is the dilemma facing our global population today.  Failure to strike a balance creates a conflict between those living in developing countries and those in...

Patents: Frequently Asked Questions

Ference & Associates is a IP boutique law firm whose practice is limited to patents, trademarks and copyrights. We frequently get asked questions about the many aspects of the patent process. While there are a multitude of intricacies that we could dive into, the...

Can Coronavirus Be Blamed For Copyright Looting?

Is copyright looting justified? Rakuten Kobo Inc., a Canadian company that sells e-books, audiobooks, e-readers, and tablet computers, has signed up 2 million new users during the past three months, illustrating the rise in e-book adoption. The global coronavirus...