Startup and video game law, from a Canadian and U.S. perspective


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Importance of a Trademark Search

Our clients spend an immense amount of time building their business, from product development, to names and branding.  In this whirlwind of creation, we often encounter businesses that forgot to see if their product or business name is available for trademark.  This is a problem that also arises with third party creative agencies, who have...

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Expedited Trademark Examinations in Canada

The Canadian Intellectual Property Office (CIPO) recently announced that it will be accepting requests for expedited examination of trademark applications along with other measures to speed up the trademark registration process in Canada. Before the recent announcements, CIPO took approximately 24-30 months to issue an examiner’s report (also called an office action). The new measures...

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Founder Leaving the Company

While founders embark on the journey of launching a company with an abundance of optimism it may be the case that their relationship does not last as long as the company, leading to the question of how to handle a founder leaving the company? This situation goes one of two ways: (1) the company and...

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The Two Questions I ask new Startups and Studios

Each week I meet with prospective clients that are excited to be launching a new startup or video game studio.  Regardless of the differences between these clients, I inevitably end up asking two important questions at the start of every meeting: 1.  Have you incorporated? Many clients incorporate without legal counsel, which I have no problem...

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