About Canaan Suitt, J.D.
Canaan Suitt received his J.D. from William & Mary Law School. After serving as a senior editor for the law school’s comparative law blog, he was a staff member of the William & Mary Environmental Law and Policy Review (ELPR). As a legal intern at the National Center for State Courts, he assisted in international rule of law projects and policy review; as a research assistant, he studied political dynamics in the U.S. federal judiciary. His articles on law and philosophy have been published in the ELPR as well as the academic journal Dewey Studies. He loves using his background in research and writing to make legal information accessible. Canaan currently writes for SuperLawyers.com. In his free time, he enjoys reading, travel, and being a cat dad.
Articles written by Canaan Suitt, J.D.
Can I Draft a Will Without a Lawyer?
Having a last will and testament is important for several reasons: It makes your final wishes known It names a guardian for minor children It directs how your property will be distributed when you die It gives your loved ones clarity and helps avoid probate disputes It appoints a personal representative to protect your estate’s best interests Perhaps most importantly, having a will gives you peace of mind that your loved ones will be provided for when …
How Do I Maintain My Trademark Registration?
Branding matters in the modern business world, making trademarks one of the most valuable forms of intellectual property. A trademark is a symbol, word, or phrase that serves as a source signifier. To protect your company’s service mark, you can register it with the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). Maintaining your trademark registration can become complicated and time-consuming. As with most legal matters, it is best to consult with an experienced trademark lawyer before …
Should I Register My Trademark?
Brand recognition is crucial for today’s businesses. Logos and other distinctive marks help consumers identify one business from another. It’s essential for your business to protect these marks. Otherwise, a competitor may be tempted to use them, confusing consumers and taking business away. Because they identify and distinguish a brand, trademarks are important for entrepreneurs and small business owners to consider when establishing their company name. For legal help with trademarks, …
What Are the Steps To Getting a Trademark?
If you’re an entrepreneur or small business owner with a company name or logo you want to use, U.S. trademark law is relevant to you. Trademarks are a type of intellectual property giving legal protection to the symbols, words, or phrases trademark owners use to identify and distinguish their business’s goods and services. Having a trademark helps distinguish your brand and build consumer trust in your product. Trademark protections arise through the use of a trademark …
When Should I Patent My Idea?
U.S. Patent Law secures inventors’ property rights in their inventions. Patent owners have the exclusive right to make, use, and sell their patented inventions and stop others from making, using, or selling them without a license or permission. If you’ve invented something, when should you file for a patent? U.S. Patent Law is a first-to-file system, incentivizing inventors to file first. But there are other legal issues to consider before applying. This article discusses important …
How To Apply for a Patent
U.S. Patent Law gives inventors the exclusive right to make, use, and sell their invention while excluding The world of patents can be confusing to traverse, whether you’re a first-time inventor or someone with a few patents under their belt. If your work has made it all the way to a patent attorney, it can even be difficult to know what to expect. If you have questions about the patent process, it's never too early to consult with an experienced patent attorney. Read on to learn more …
When Should I Get a Patent Lawyer?
If you’re an inventor who has come up with a new process, machine, formula, or design, you want to ensure your invention is protected from others using or copying it. This is where patent law comes in. A subset of intellectual property law, patent law gives individuals or businesses legal protections for their inventions. “Patents are intended to cover inventions. It has to be a bit more than an idea. It has to be some sort of technological innovation or some novel improvement over …
Steps To Protecting Your Business’s Intellectual Property
Protecting intellectual property is vital for your business’s financial success and growth. “Intellectual property, in general, is the ownership of the commitment of ideas and innovation to practice,” says William Samuels, an intellectual property attorney at Cole Frieman & Mallon in New York City. "By providing protections through patents or trademarks, for example, intellectual property law provides incentives for people to share their innovations and inventions. It also …
Should My Business Hire an Intellectual Property Lawyer?
If you are a business owner and your company owns intellectual property, there are many potential benefits to hiring an intellectual property lawyer. For example, a lawyer can help ensure your intellectual property rights are protected from infringement ahead of time. If infringement does occur, a lawyer can act on your behalf to resolve the issue, letting you run your business without having to deal with the ins and outs of lawsuits. “Working with lawyers helps avoid issues that might come …
When Do I Need Permission To Use a Copyrighted Work?
Copyright law protects the rights of authors and creators in their works. It gives the owner exclusive rights to sell or distribute their creative work, make derivative works, perform or display the work in public, and to transfer ownership or grant a license to use the work. Copyright infringement is the unauthorized use of a copyrighted work. It includes plagiarism, selling copies of a work, and failing to attribute a work to its creator. In other words, infringement is using a …
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