Tag: Business

Branding, Contracts, Copyright, Corporate Law, Corporations, Entertainment, Entrepreneurs, Marketing, Start-ups, Trademarks

Ping® by Adlerlaw – January 2026

Looking Back, Looking Forward

Beyond Transactions: Building Solid Businesses

In 2025 Adler Law Group:

*Registered over a dozen New Federal Trademarks, including:

  • BLOOMA – consulting
  • MORE THAN JUST BANKING -banking
  • CEO – corporate events
  • LIFEFORCE BREATH – consulting
  • CALM ON THE GO – consulting
  • E9 – Golf events
  • AV=ADDED VALUE – audio visual production services
  • CORPORATE EVENTS ONLINE – online streaming services
  • MAKE MARS GREAT AGAIN – various novelty goods
  • PLAY LIFE DIFFERENTLY – financial services
  • US IMMIGRATION SUPPORT – immigration services
  • ROSE HILL DESIGN STUDIO – interior design services

*Helped a Medical Services start-up secure $10,000,000 in start up funding.

*Assisted an ecommerce services business acquire assets out of a bankruptcy and turn it into a 7 figure services business.

*Counseled several Independent Filmmakers on starting and successfully producing their first feature film.

WHERE WE WERE THIS YEAR

As always, I continue to share my knowledge and experiences with entrepreneurs across a wide range of industries, and 2025 was no exception.

These are just a couple events wher I was a featured speaker:

  • NAMA Show 2025, Las Vegas – Build Brands and Customer Loyalty
  • KBIS VFTI 2025, Las Vegas – Protecting Original Design and Authenticity in an Age of Knock-Offs
  • DESIGN CHICAGO 20205 – Contract Basics For Interior Designers

Learn more about these events here.

Computing, Content Development, Copyright, Creative Content, Entertainment, Internet, Strategy

Ping® by Adlerlaw October 2025 – Navigating AI in Creative Contracts

Third-party generative artificial intelligence systems (AI) are rapidly transforming creative work, introducing new opportunities and real legal and business risks. Many contracts do not yet cover how AI tools are used, who owns resulting intellectual property, or what happens if errors or unlicensed materials are incorporated into your final product. Creative professionals should strongly consider reviewing their contracts and adding provisions for AI use to tackle evolving risks and responsibilities for your industry. This article looks at contractual issues affected by use of AI tools and suggests specific terms to consider. While not exhaustive, the topics in this article target major areas for attention.

Copyright & Intellectual Property (IP) Rights

AI-generated work can pose challenges for copyright protection, licensing, and third-party rights. Many platforms and tools have uncertain or shifting approaches to ownership and proper licensing.

Read more here.

Copyright, Entertainment, Infringement, Law, Patent, Trademarks

Ping® by Adlerlaw August 2025 Don’t Monkey With NFTs & Nintendo’s Aggressive IP Tactics

Yuga Labs NFT Trademark Dispute Continues.

A jury must decide if the spoofed monkey-themed NFTs misled consumers in the case against Ryder Ripps. NFTs are digital assets. Yuga Labs launched Bored Ape Yacht Club in April 2021. These NFTs are digital images of cartoon apes with various traits and accessories, residing on the Ethereum blockchain. BAYC is known for its exclusivity, limited access, and influence within the NFT space. NFT trading has surged recently, reaching Billion Dollar valuations. Read more here: [LINK]

Nintendo Demonstrates Aggressive IP Tactics

Digital content creators should pay attention to Nintendo’s ongoing lawsuit against Palworld alleging the Pokemon-inspired survival game had infringed on several of Nintendo’s patents revolving around various game mechanics. Nintendo just recently filed corrections on three of the patents involved in a lawsuit with the Japan Patent Office revising the wording of game mechanics Nintendo. Nintendo’s last-minute patent changes have provoked outrage. Read more here: [LINK]

AV Voice Text Clones & Copyright Law

On a related note, AV voice text clones do not violate copyright laws. The Southern District of New York issued ruled in Lehrman et al v. Lovo, Inc., 1-24-cv-03770 (SDNY Jul. 10, 2025) that actors’ voice recordings used to create AI-generated voice clones “identical to” the Plaintiffs’ voices as part of a text-to-speech service was not copyright infringement.

Corporate Law, Entertainment, Law, Legislation, llinois

Boost Your Legal Knowledge with Ping® by Adlerlaw

Hi! Welcome to Ping®! I hope you stay with us.

Ping® started over 25 years ago. It grew from my experiences running the Entrepreneurial & Start-up Ventures Committee and the Media, Arts & Entertainment Committee of the Chicago Bar Association. I also gained insights from public speaking in the areas of intellectual property, information technology, privacy, security, and social media.

Every forum meeting or presentation ended with in-depth questions from the audience. Since I rarely had time to answer these questions or provide any depth to my response, I decided to publish Ping®. These articles share my knowledge and educate creative professionals to be better consumers of legal services.

This month Ping® by Adlerlaw looks at new laws in Illinois, as well as upcoming Interior Design CEUs. See more here.

Advertising, Business, Creative Content, Ecommerce, Entertainment, Internet, Marketing

Ping® by Adlerlaw – Ultimate Guide to Google Ads Suspension Solutions

Has your Google Ads account been suspended? Do you find the suspension notice to be vague and unsubstantiated? You’re not alone! Do you want to know what to do when Google Ads shuts you down? Here are some suggestions.

First, read the Notice! Google’s Policies are intentionally vague and cover a broad range of conduct.

Second, review the response guidelines. Determine what type of response is required and gather “evidence” in support of your position before you respond.

Third, Consult your lawyer!. It’s easy to make mistakes. Presenting your best case in the first instance will improve efficiency and effectiveness.

To learn more about specific steps and responses to Google Ads Account Suspension Notices, please read the full article on the Adler Law website here.

For more information, contact an attorney at the Adler Law Group.

Branding, Law, Marketing, Trademarks

Eagle Rare Unable to Claw Away Eagle Trace in Battle Over Eagle Park. 

Eagle statue

Applicant, Eagle Trace Brewing Company LLC, applied to register the following standard-character marks on the Principal Register: EAGLE PARK DISTILLING for “distilled spirits; alcoholic beverages, except beer” in International Class 33;1 and EAGLE PARK BREWING COMPANY for “alcoholic beverages, namely beer” in International Class 32.

Sazerac Brands, opposed both applications on the ground of likelihood of confusion under Section 2(d) of the Trademark Act, 15 U.S.C. § 1052(d), asserting prior rights in and ownership of marks registered on the Principal Register: EAGLE RARE (standard characters) for “bourbon whiskey” in International Class 33;3 and for “whiskey” in International Class 33.

Despite some similarities, including the presence of the word Eagle in the marks, the Board dismissed the opposition.

Read the USPTO TTAB decision here: 

Click to access ttabvue-91272260-OPP-46.pdf

Get In Touch

Adler Law Group

300 Saunders Road, Suite 100
Riverwoods, IL 60015
Toll free Phone & Fax: (866) 734-2568

https://www.adler-law.com/contact/

Business, Corporate Law, Corporations, LLCs, Small Business, Start-ups, Uncategorized

Ping® by Adlerlaw Should My LLC Be Taxed As An S Corporation And Why?

It has become customary for many businesses to set up a limited liability company (LLC). Especially when it is a 1 or 2-person business.  Among the many advantages of LLCs are simple default tax classifications: sole proprietor for 1 member, partnership for more than 1 member, also known as “pass-through.” This is the same regardless of the type of member. However, have you asked your lawyer, accountant, or business advisor if it makes sense to simply take the default classification? Small businesses should consider whether making the election to be treated as a “S-corporation” makes sense.

Read the full article here.

If you are unsure about the benefits or the choices discussed above, feel free to contact us by email or by calling 1-866-734-2568. For over 27 years, we have guided business owners in this important depiction-making process.

Branding, Copyright, Entertainment, Influencer Marketing, Trademarks, Unfair Competition

Kardashian YouTube Video of Office Furniture Prompts Lawsuit Against Celeb & Interior Designer

How Can Designers Protect Their Intellectual Property?

Interior Design and knockoff furniture made headlines in a recent New York Times article, most likely due to the celebrity attached to the controversy. The complaint filed by the Judd Foundation against interior design firm Clements Design, Inc. and the designer’s client, Kim Kardashian, alleges claims for trademark infringement, copyright infringement, unfair competition, false advertising, and false endorsement related to the sale and promotion of allegedly knockoff Donald Judd designed furniture.

Filed in California, the Judd Foundation brings its unfair competition claims primarily under 15 USC 1125(a) based upon Clements Design’s and Kardashian’s use of alleged Judd Design knock-off, publicized on Kardashian’s YouTube channel in August 2022.

For more information about this lawsuit, please check out this Business of Home podcast in which I’m honored to be mentioned. That podcast is available here.

Designers take note: the Judd Foundation (in-artfully) alleges the Designer’s use of a photograph of a Judd-designed table in the Designer’s proposal to Kardashian is copyright infringement leading to unfair competition.

Contact Us Today

We have more than 25 years of experience representing clients in state and federal courts, and in the United States Patent & Trademark Office.

Adler Law Group is located in Chicago, Illinois, but serves clients throughout the United States including New York, as well as international clients.

Reach out today for all your trademark, copyright, licensing, litigation and business issues.

Advertising, Branding, Business, Entertainment, Privacy, Publicity Rights

Ping® by Adlerlaw January 2024 – A Brief Comparison of NY and IL NIL laws.

This month’s issue of Ping® highlights some trends in digital advertising. On June 29th, 2021, Illinois passed a Name, Image, Likeness (NIL) law for their colleges and institutions allowing a student-athlete to earn compensation commensurate with market value while enrolled at a postsecondary educational institution, and obtain and retain a certified agent for any matter or activity relating to such compensation.  This has prompted some discussions around different states treatment of right of publicity laws. This month’s issue of Ping® briefly compares NY and IL NIL laws.

Illinois vs New York Right of Publicity Acts: Key Differences and Protections

A Brief Comparison of the Illinois & New York Right of Publicity Acts

The Illinois Right of Publicity Act

The Illinois Right of Publicity Act is a state law that protects the commercial value of an individual’s identity. It prohibits the unauthorized use of an individual’s “Identity,” which means any attribute of an individual that serves to identify that individual to an ordinary, reasonable viewer or listener, including but not limited to (i) name, (ii) signature, (iii) photograph, (iv) image, (v) likeness, or (vi) voice. The act also allows individuals to transfer their right of publicity to their heirs after death. However, the Illinois law is unique in that it provides for a broad definition of “commercial purpose,” which includes any use that is “primarily intended for commercial advantage or monetary gain.” This means that even non-commercial uses of an individual’s identity could be considered a violation of the law if they are intended to promote a product or service.

Learn More About Illinois Right of Publicity Act

The New York Right of Publicity Act

The New York Right of Publicity Act is another state law that protects an individual’s right to control the commercial use of their name, image, or likeness. However, unlike the Illinois law, New York’s law only applies to uses for advertising or trade purposes. This means that individuals in New York may have less protection against non-commercial uses of their identity. Additionally, the New York law does not provide for the transfer of an individual’s right of publicity after death, meaning that the right to control the commercial use of their identity ends when they pass away.

However, the New York Act provides some post-mortem protection for certain commercial exploitations of individuals’ rights of publicity for 40 years after death for those persons whose publicity rights had commercial value, at the time of or due to, their death. There are a number of other limitations, exceptions and nuances, including that protections only arise from deaths after May 29, 2021.

Learn More About New York Right of Publicity Act

Business, Compliance, Contracts, Entrepreneurs, New York

Ping® By AdlerLaw – NYC Written Contracts & Freelance Workers

Ping® by Adlerlaw Reminder: NYC Requires Written Contracts For Freelance Workers

New York City’s Freelance Isn’t Free Act defines freelance workers as any individual hired or retained as an independent contractor by a hiring party to provide services for compensation. Commonly referred to as gigs, tasks, projects, side or contingent work, working on contract or spec, freelancing, contracting, subcontracting, consulting, moonlighting, entrepreneurship, alternative arrangements, self-employment, etc., you can contact DCWP if you have questions about classification as a freelance worker, independent contractor, or employee.

If you employ independent contractors in New York City (NYC), you may need to have written contracts with your workers. Since May 15, 2017, NYC’s Freelance Isn’t Free Act (the “Act” or “FIFA”) established and enhanced protections for freelance workers, a/k/a “independent contractors.” The Act provides the right to a written contract between the hiring party and the contractor, the right to be paid timely and in full, and the right to be free of retaliation. The key terms that must be included in the written contract are (1) the work to be performed, (2) the pay for the work, and (3) the date payment will be made. The contractor and the hiring party must keep a copy of the written contract.

To read the full Article, go to adler-law.com or click here.