Author Archives: John DiGiacomo

Revenge porn is illegal in most US states with both civil and criminal penalties. Revision Legal’s internet attorneys explain the laws against non-consensual pornography and your legal rights.

Defamation includes both libel (written) and slander (spoken). Here’s a complete guide to what defamation means, how to prove it, and your legal options.

In patent law, the patent “filing date” and the “priority date” are two important but different concepts. Often, the filing and priority dates are the same, but that is not always the case. Here is a quick rundown on the differences and why they matter. Generally speaking, the filing date of a patent is the […]

A design patent legally protects the design embodied in or applied to an article of manufacture, but NOT the article of manufacture itself. That is, what is patentable is the design for an article including surface ornamental features, configuration and three-dimensional shape (if the shape is not functional). Essentially, design is about the visual characteristics […]

A proper copyright notice includes the copyright symbol, year of publication, and owner’s name. Here’s the correct format and where to place it on your work.

Under current US patent law, the concept of “inventorship” plays an important role. As the saying goes, in the US, patents are issued to “inventors,” not to those that may manufacture, market, and sell an invention. Thus, only the “inventor” of an invention can apply for and receive a patent. In general terms, inventorship is […]

Slogans can be trademarked if they’re distinctive rather than merely descriptive. Here’s what makes a slogan registrable and how to strengthen your application.

A continuation patent application is a separate later-filed patent application that relates to an earlier-filed patent application. The continuation patent application must be based on the specification shown in the earlier-filed patent application and must “build on” or add additional patentable claims. The continuation patent application is commonly called the “child” application and the original […]

Spotting intellectual property violations early allows you to act before significant damage occurs. Here’s how to identify infringement and what steps to take.

Filing a false DMCA takedown notice carries serious legal consequences including liability. Revision Legal’s internet attorneys explain the legal risks of submitting a fraudulent DMCA claim.