When a U.S. company's shipment of protective work gloves was seized at Chinese customs because a competitor held the trademark registration in the correct product class, it revealed a costly lesson about China trademark strategy. What appears to be a simple filing process actually requires sophisticated legal judgment about classification, ownership structure, and brand protection that goes far beyond what low-cost filing services provide.

Chinese factories are increasingly selling products directly to consumers, especially in industries hit hard by tariffs, tariff threats, and shifting geopolitical tensions.

China’s amended Trademark Law has generated considerable discussion, but much of that discussion has focused on the statutory changes themselves rather than what they mean in practice.

I know from my LinkedIn feed that I'm not the only trademark lawyer who slips into Trademark Lawyer Mode™ while shopping or just driving around.

A Chinese tech entrepreneur loses $1 million on a Seattle condo deal after 6 months of negotiations when he's unable to transfer enough money out of China to complete the purchase, leading to a forfeiture of his earnest...

Los acuerdos operativos (operating agreements) de las LLC (limited liability companies o sociedades de responsabilidad limitada) establecen cómo...

Last Friday, January 15th, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (the "USDA") announced today's publication of its hemp production final rule in the Federal Register, which will go into effect on March 22, 2021.

In this post we take a closer look at grey market goods and China. First, we will consider what grey market goods are and why brands get so worked up...

Our cannabis business attorneys regularly handle transactions involving the purchase and sale of licensed cannabis businesses. These deals often move fast, with brokers rushing both sides toward closing...

This comprehensive guide explores the landscape of small business acquisitions in the United States, detailing where prospective buyers can discover purchase opportunities and what distinguishes small businesses from closely-held enterprises. The article examines the role of SBA classifications, government-backed financing options, and the various channels through which business sales occur, from familiar buyer relationships to broker-facilitated transactions.

Chinese companies approach litigation and arbitration differently from their Western counterparts.

Five separate bills are moving through the California legislature at the same time, and together they touch nearly every part of a licensee's compliance program; (1) how the Department of Cannabis Control (the “DCC”) investigates and penalizes violations, (2) what gets tested and disclosed at retail, and (3) what a products can look like on the shelf.

With SEVIS terminations and student visa cancellations on the rise, this blog post explains how students can protect their legal status—and their future.

The federal lawsuit challenging the Gold Card immigration program brings legal structure to what had previously been an open policy question: how far the executive branch can go in reshaping employment-based immigration...

In its ongoing efforts to satisfy ChatGPT's colossal appetite for content on which to "train" its algorithms, OpenAI continues to announce major licensing deals with partners...

Utah Yetis. I'll leave it up to readers to decide if they think it's a cool name or not for a sports team.

Many U.S. companies assume that importing under Delivered Duty Paid (DDP) terms shields them from tariffs. It doesn't.

The large-scale shift to telework brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic is prompting businesses around the world to explore new avenues to engage with clients and friends.

In the U.S., banking is not limited to traditional large international banks.

We cover cannabis-related trademark issues regularly on this blog, because branding and trademark protection form the most basic foundation for most businesses.