Blackletter

On this episode of Monday Minutes, Tom discusses the recent trademark case of the Cleveland Indians and Cleveland Guardians. The Guardians’ roller derby team has sued the Cleveland Indians, saying they can’t use the name and that their trademark application is untruthful. The Cleveland Indians applied for a trademark outside the U.S. in order to expedite the process. Listen to the episode to hear...

On this episode, Tom discusses the Avery Dennison and ADASA case in Oregon that recently needed to be revisited. During the original trail, Avery Dennison had not told the jury about all the infringing products. The court sanctioned them an additional $20 million. Listen to the episode to hear more about why this is important.      

On this episode of Monday Minutes, Tom discusses the Supreme Court Carbon Case, which challenges whether the EPA can regulate carbon emissions. Under Trump, the EPA’s abilities were restricted until Biden lifted that rule. The coal companies are opposing Biden’s actions, while the EPA continues to act in service to the environment and U.S. citizens.    

On the last part of the Crowdfunding series, Tom explains what Form C is and what it entails. When filling out the form, you must provide items such as a business plan, risk factors, debt, investing goal and much more. Tom urges you to consult a lawyer when taking this approach, as there are no exceptions to SCC regulations. Listen to the episode to hear Tom’s opinion on whether you should crowdfu...

On this episode, Tom talks about regulation CF, otherwise known as regulation crowdfunding. Under regulation CF, a company can raise up to $5 million if they register their online transactions through an intermediary, such as a funding portal. Portals like GoFundMe are the easiest to use but have a fee. Additionally, there are limits to how much an investor can give, depending on their net worth a...

On this episode, Tom continues his discussion on crowdfunding from the business’s perspective. He touches on the JOBS Act, which dictates what you can do with crowdfunding in 2021. For example, the cap on crowdfunding within a 12-month period has jumped up several million. Listen to the episode to hear more about the new cap.  

On today’s episode, Tom Dunlap chats with Braven Greenelsh about Three Good, a platform that helps mitigate early signs of burnout in employees.   With anonymous surveys and other tools, employees get a chance to express themselves while employers get a touch on the corporate pulse. In answering questions, responding to feelers, and engaging with the platform, employe...

On this episode of Monday Minutes, Tom begins a four-part series on the regulations of crowdfunding. Crowdfunding is when a company raises small capital from many individuals. From the perspective of a company, what are the advantages of crowdfunding? For one, it opens up your fund-raising efforts to a wider base, as well as creates awareness of your brand. In terms of disadvantages, platforms wil...

A health care employer in the Cincinnati area lawfully required its employees to get vaccinated or be fired, a federal district court judge ruled on Friday in one of the first decisions of its kind. Listen to the recap on today's Monday Minutes to hear more about how this could set a broad precedent for future in rulings in other states.  

On this episode of Monday Minutes, Tom continues the discussion on how companies can require employees to get the vaccine. He explains how some employees are protected against mandated vaccination status under religious protection. However, he distinguishes that it must be a firmly held belief and stated into the religion. If an employer has an exempt employee, they’re allowed to create different...

On today’s episode, Tom Dunlap chats with Larry Sharpe about his time in the military, how he became an entrepreneur, and some of his life lessons.   Looking for guidance as a young man, Larry joined the military and learned invaluable skills he has carried over to other fields. He tells the story of how he launched his entrepreneurial career, as well as the lessons he learned...

On today’s Monday Minutes, Tom discusses the recent FDA approval of the Pfizer vaccine for anyone over the age of 16. The Army and companies can now require their employees to get the vaccine. Prior to the FDA approval, companies could mandate the vaccine under the emergency use act. In response to this, states are now passing bills that grant vaccination status the same protection that race, gend...

On this episode, Tom discusses what a force majeure is and why it is relevant to the pandemic. A force majeure is a provision in a contract that comes into effect when something significant happens such as earthquakes, floods, labor shortages, strikes, and sometimes—pandemics. As the Delta variant sweeps across the country, force majeure clauses may become enacted. Tom covers what the contract wou...

On this episode, Tom discusses an important topic: the FDA’s vaccine approval process. The typical vaccine approval process takes about 10-12 months, and the coronavirus vaccines are no different. Tom covers what goes into the approval process and the timeframe of each step. The first stage is research and development, then three phases of clinical trials, which include thousands of administered v...

On today’s episode, Tom Dunlap chats with Kristina Bouweiri about how she transformed her business, Reston Limousine, during Covid.  During a time in which everyone was mandated to stay at home, Kristina’s busses and limousines became obsolete overnight. Kristina then pivoted her business to food delivery, organ transplant transportation, as well as transporting Covid-positive patients to qua...

On this episode, Tom discusses how recently Apple Inc. went to the Trademark Trial and Appeals Board to stop a new trademark by Mattel Inc., owner of the game Apples to Apples. This new trademark would be for entertainment services, such as an online game and potentially, a children’s TV show. Tom covers what Apple Inc. specifically takes issue with, as well as shares his thoughts on how the case...

On today’s episode, Tom discusses the extension of the student loan forbearance to January 31st 2022. The Biden, and in part Trump, administration has given $110 billion in student loan forgiveness. Student loan borrowers have been saving about $5 billion a month in relief. Listen to the Monday Minutes to hear more about it.

Today, Tom Dunlap chats with Ingrid Vanderveldt who was the Entrepreneur-in-Residence at Dell for many years, before becoming the founder and current CEO of Empowering a Billion Women, an organization dedicated to creating 100 billion dollars of global market impact by 2030 through empowering women entrepreneurs, leaders and advocates. Listen as they discuss women in the COVID world, changing mind...

For today’s Monday Minutes, Tom discusses the world’s first ever patent issued to a machine. South Africa issued a patent to an AI inventor named Dabus. The inventor of Dabus, Steven Thaler from Imagination Engines filed the patent originally in the US and the UK, before being rejected. In the US, the patent requires the inventor be an actual person, but said that the patent Thaler filed fits all...

For today’s episode, Tom discusses Crocs recent decision to file a trade dress lawsuit against a variety of shoemakers, including Walmart, Sketchers and more. As soon as their design patent expired, which happens often, other companies released their own shoes with the Crocs style. As a response, Crocs filed a trade dress claim, which allows for protection if the company can prove certain things s...

Tom Dunlap is joined by special guest Sabrina Shafer, CEO of transformation CONTINUUM. They discuss how to prep your company to go to market digitally.  Topics for the episode include digital transformation, executing your transformation plan and advice for law firms going through a digital transformation.

For today’s episode, Tom discusses a report released by RPX corporation, which handles infringement litigation when companies have been sued by non-practicing entities. Non-practicing entities own patents or portfolios, but do not make a product, and sue other companies when those patents are infringed upon. Compare to last year, litigation with NPEs has risen by 7%. On the reverse side, practicin...

On this Episode of Blackletter, Tom Dunlap is joined by special guest Scott Harris, owner of the Catoctin Creek Distillery. This episode covers the history of the distillery as well as Harris’s work pioneering hand sanitizer production out of distilleries.

Today, Tom Dunlap discusses the Supreme Court ruling in favor of a high school student who had been cut her from the varsity cheerleading time due to profanity in her Snapchat photos. The teenager posted on her Snapchat, swearing about the school, which eventually got back to the school, who punished her. The Supreme Court ruled that the school did not have the right to censor or punish students f...

For today’s episode, Tom discusses employers having the authority to mandate vaccination. If Pfizer and Moderna get the full approval by the FDA, then employers have the ability to enforce vaccination before returning to work. Tom goes through the American with Disabilities Act that employers will have to comply with, as well as, if they need to keep track of side effects from the vaccine.