Learn what constitutes trademark infringement

'Dilution' is any use of a trademark that weakens its distinctiveness

Unlike trademark infringement that hinges on the likelihood of confusing customers, trademark dilution is an illegal practice that threatens the distinctiveness of a trademark. In the US, famous brands like Nike and Google have a right to protection from dilution.

Trademarks are a form of consumer protection

Trademarks help brands distinguish their products from competitors, but they also give consumers clarity around the product they are buying and where it comes from. Distinguishable names help prevent consumer confusion and maintain a consumer's ability to choose their preferred product and brand.

Breaking down the main classes of intellectual property: trademark vs. copyright vs. patent

Trademarks, copyrights, and patents are all intellectual property classifications that give exclusive ownership of ideas and concepts to individuals or businesses. Patents usually refer to innovative products or processes, copyrights are centered around the right to reproduce content, and trademarks usually involve branding elements, like names, logos, and distinct product elements.

Listen to the pros and cons of owning a trademark as a small business owner

For many small business owners, it can be hard to decide when the time is right to file a trademark. This trademark lawyer says the decision often comes down to a product's branding, the size of the business, and how established the company is.

Learn what different trademark symbols mean

In the US, brands can technically use a trademark without actually filing a trademark with the United States Patent and Trademark Office—which is where the ™ symbol comes from. However, brands that have officially filed trademarks can use the ® symbol in their branding.

Non-use or lapsed filings can cause a trademark to expire

Going more than three consecutive years without using a trademark can be considered abandonment—which means the trademark falls into the public domain and someone else could potentially file for the trademark. Besides non-use, not maintaining the paperwork or paying the fees can result in a terminated trademark.

The international trademark framework is called the Madrid Protocol

Trademarks vary from country to country, but an agreement called the Madrid Protocol allows trademark protections across more than 100 participating countries. While the Madrid Protocol expands trademark access, it doesn't necessarily grant blanket protections across the participating countries, meaning each country is still in charge of its own trademark enforcement.

Frisbee, Jet Ski, and Dumpster—explore a list of words you might not realize are trademarked

Many products that have become household names started out as first-of-a-kind items. As those products grew in popularity, the brand name became the default name for the product.

Read about the time Apple tried to trademark an actual apple in Switzerland

In 2017, tech company Apple filed for the trademark to a black-and-white image of a Granny Smith apple in Switzerland—a request that was only partially granted. Apple wanted full control over the image, but many worried that granting the trademark would open up too many opportunities for the company to own the rights to the mere shape of an apple.

Read the Federal Trade Commission's legal definition of a monopoly

The Federal Trade Commission and the US Department of Justice (DOJ) Antitrust Division are the regulatory agencies responsible for overseeing antitrust laws. Before deeming any company a monopoly or acknowledging monopolistic power in a market, the FTC conducts thorough research into market competition, price, and even other competitors' business practices.

Influencers try to make money off posts—but that's not always the case for creators

The words “influencer” and “creator” are used interchangeably to describe someone who posts consistent content to a significant number of followers on at least one social media platform. But the difference between the two is important. Especially to marketers seeking to tap social media stars to promote products and services.

Modern fan fiction exists in a legal gray area

Modern copyright law prohibits using someone's intellectual property (like a character) without their permission. By and large, fan fiction is tacitly condoned by copyright holders because it's commonly distributed for free. If anything, the copyright holders often benefit by allowing passionate fan communities to flourish.

Insider trading is the practice of trading a company's securities based on material, nonpublic information

"Material, nonpublic" information is essentially any undisclosed information that could have a substantial impact on an investor's decision to trade a security. While the practice is strictly prohibited on the stock market, it's now being discussed regarding less-regulated but increasingly popular prediction markets.

Brandenburg v. Ohio set the modern standard for when speech can be punished as incitement

A Ku Klux Klan leader's conviction for a threatening speech prompted the Supreme Court in 1969 to rule that speech is punishable as incitement only if it is directed at—and likely to produce—imminent lawless action.

What is a lien?

A lien is a legal claim or right to someone else's property, such as a home. For instance, if someone wins a lawsuit against you and they can’t immediately collect the money you owe them, they might have the right to file a lien against your property.

What's the difference between a stock and a share?

While the words "stock" and "share" are often used interchangeably in casual conversation, they have different meanings. For instance, "stock" is more general, whereas "share" is more precise.

Art theft is the third-largest source of criminal revenues worldwide, thanks in part to the subjective nature of valuing a work of art.

When common sounds become disturbing

Misophonia causes certain sounds to feel violating, triggering a "very visceral kind of experience" filled with extremely unpleasant emotions, including annoyance, anger, and disgust. A 2017 study found that people with misophonia have elevated activity in the brain's anterior insula—a region associated with interoception, emotional processing, and behavioral responses—when exposed to trigger sounds. Ongoing research suggests trigger sound context affects the severity and manifestation of the condition.

OSINT: How hackers find their marks

What is OSINT? How do hackers gather intel about targets? Just how much can they learn about you? Learn more as we dig in to the world of OSINT.

In 2018, a graffiti artist sued HBO for including their work in one of the network's shows

An episode of the HBO show "Vinyl" featured a scene with a woman walking down a New York street and passing by a dumpster tagged by graffiti artist Itoffee Gayle. Gayle filed suit against the network, despite not owning the dumpster, claiming that the network had violated his copyright and trademark rights by including his work in the show without his permission. The court sided with HBO, saying that Gayle's claims "bordered on frivolous."

What exactly is a GMO?

A GMO, or genetically modified organism, is an organism whose DNA has been altered for specific improvement such as longer shelf life, disease resistance, or enhanced nutrition—which can benefit both farmers and consumers. While humans have used...

Hikma v. Amarin is a case the Supreme Court is hearing in 2026 that could impact how much you ultimately pay for prescription drugs

The case explores the liability of a generic drug maker for patent infringement. Hikma Pharmaceuticals launched a generic for Amarin Pharma's Vascepa (a fish oil drug), carving out a still-patented use and instead explicitly selling its product for another unprotected use. But Hikma was sued for its marketing materials that still alluded to the patented indication without outright referencing it.

The rise of the malicious use of drones

Drones are legally categorized as aircraft, so when homeowners see a drone hovering over their private property, it is illegal to shoot them down. As drones become more commercially available, their illicit use is also increasing. Celebrities have reported incidents of drone privacy invasions and events planners often deploy anti-drone systems to prevent incursions.

Learn how to read a prospectus, the juicy document that any company must file with the SEC before going public.

AI could be increasing the opportunities for financial fraud

Systems that can reproduce near perfect counterfeits of legitimate financial documents are increasingly prevalent and sophisticated. The international Association of Certified Fraud Examiners estimate organizations lose about 5% of revenue to fraud each year.

Nearly all species introduced into a new environment are not invasive

Introduced by zoologist Charles Elton in 1958, the term "invasive species" refers to organisms that are not native to an environment but cause harm after their introduction. Some ecologists argue that terminology such as "native" and "non-native" may only serve to assist in extinction when legislation is limited to protecting "native" organisms.

Visualizing a stroke at the microscopic level

By far the most common type of stroke is what is known as an ischemic stroke. This occurs due to either an embolus (a blood clot that travels to the brain from elsewhere in the body) or a thrombus (a blockage that forms within the brain itself).

The US Constitution is widely regarded as the longest-standing written national constitution still in force—see how it has influenced rights worldwide.

See this overview of the firework rules across all 50 states, ranging from a complete ban on non-professional fireworks in Massachusetts to states with more lax rules like Indiana.

The first steps to rebuilding your credit score include getting to know exactly what's on your credit report and figuring out how far you are from the '700 club,' or 'good score' range.

Memecoins are a type of cryptocurrency—a form of digital currency with a wide variety of uses—created around popular 'memes,' or viral internet jokes.

Warren Buffett's former professor Benjamin Graham is known as the 'father of value investing,' a strategy in which investors seek to buy stocks trading below their intrinsic worth.

Netflix profits when you're not watching, and its movies are designed that way—read a detail-rich critical essay exposing lesser-known Netflix takes

Gerrymandering works through two techniques: cracking opposing voters across districts to dilute their power, and packing them into a few to waste their votes in lopsided majorities.

Doctors differentiate between a phobia and fear by asking patients whether their fear interferes with their day-to-day activities.

A 2019 Facebook event called on attendees to "Storm Area 51, They Can't Stop All of Us," resulting in countless memes, the creation of a music festival, and eventually the arrests of those who did try to approach the area.

The story of Dollree Mapp, whose legal challenge over her 1957 conviction for possessing "obscene material" led to a major strengthening of the Fourth Amendment

Elk Cloner, the first computer virus to spread in public, was written as a practical joke by Richard Skrenta, a Pittsburgh high school student.

The Brothers Grimm were lawyers before they were storytellers, and became interested in fairy tales as they began investigating how rules and customs had been passed down through cultures.

Dirty lightning is a thunderstorm created from friction between rising and falling flows of ash and smoke during volcanic eruptions.

Visualize how CRISPR-Cas9—a type of immune system used by single-celled organisms to attack invasive viruses—targets and makes precise changes to a gene's DNA.

Discover the catastrophic consequences of a failure of the US electrical grid—something that is more likely than many Americans think.

Long before Major League Baseball began allowing instant replay for balls and strikes, an umpire reluctantly used the technology to determine whether a hit was a home run, a move that inadvertently ushered in a new era for the sport.

Poison ivy's rash-causing compound is found in the plant's roots, stem, and leaves—so coming into contact with any part of the plant can lead to rashes for the 85% of people who are allergic to it.

Legendary architect Frank Lloyd Wright designed the SC Johnson headquarters in Wisconsin, aiming to make a cathedral-like workplace

The price of gas is a composite made up of several different factors, with the federal gas tax making up less than 20% of what drivers pay at the pump.

Browse a detailed visual analysis of over 200,000 similes—comparisons that often use 'like' or 'as'—from popular fiction to see how frequently writers the same idiomatic expressions.

Domino's Pizza's 30-minute delivery guarantee was responsible for the chain's 1980s surge, but it was discontinued after the company was found liable for delivery driver accidents.

Most of the observable universe's volume consists of voids and supervoids—enormous regions of space with little to no galaxies, stars, or light.

Mark Twain spent decades feuding with the US Postal Service, convinced its costs and regulations were bureaucratic overreach.