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A trade secret is any information that derives value by virtue of it being unknown, including recipes, product plans, and customer lists, among many others. Trade secrets can be extremely valuable for companies that hold them. A particularly famous example is the recipe for Coca-Cola, which for many years was kept in a locked vault in Atlanta. On the other hand, loss of trade secret protection can be financially devastating, potentially even driving a company out of business. But not all losses of trade secrets are legally actionable; some, such as those that occur as a result of reverse engineering, are generally legal, as an Alabama IP litigation lawyer explains. 

The process of obtaining a patent can be expensive and time-consuming. Estimates vary, but the cost to obtain a patent on even a relatively simple invention can run about $8,000 and takes an average of about two years. Those are significant amounts of time and money, especially for small businesses, but the benefits of patent protection can quickly pay off. Patents are property rights at heart and, just like with real estate, there are many ways for patent owners to monetize their patents. An Alabama patent attorney can help you devise a strategy that works best for your company. 

Laws and social attitudes regarding cannabis have changed dramatically in recent years. Medical and/or recreational cannabis use is now legal in some form in the vast majority of states (including medical use in Alabama). The cannabis industry also received a boost under the 2018 Farm Bill, which legalized cannabis and cannabis-derived products containing 0.3% or less THC (known as “hemp”). With an estimated market value of $14.9 billion in 2021, entrepreneurs in the legal cannabis industry are eagerly seeking IP protection for their products. But is such protection even possible? It’s complicated, as an Alabama intellectual property lawyer explains below. 

With the proliferation of smartphones in the past decade and a half, apps have become ubiquitous. From streaming video to social networking to banking to doing your taxes, there is an app for everything. Some major businesses, such as Uber, Tinder, and Instagram, are app-first or even app-only, with their primary method of customer engagement coming overwhelmingly through a smartphone app interface. With more and more traditional goods and services being accessed through smartphone apps, forward-thinking businesses can incorporate their app icons into their larger trademark strategies with the assistance of an Alabama trademark lawyer. 

Trademark protection is essential for protecting your brand. Not only does a trademark differentiate your goods for services from those of others, but it also allows you to build goodwill with consumers through the trademark’s association with superior quality products or services. As such, you want to make sure that you pick a trademark that will offer your brand the most protection possible. Not all trademarks are equal; some offer stronger protection than others. An Alabama trademark lawyer can help you select and register a trademark that will deliver the protection your brand needs.