As you build your business, your brand name, logo, and identity are some of your most valuable assets. Many business owners don’t realize that you can get trademark rights just by using your brand, even if you haven’t registered it. These are called common law trademark rights. While they offer some protection, they are […]
You’ve invested your time, money, and creativity into building your brand. But have you truly protected it? Just as you would not skip homeowners’ insurance, especially in coastal Florida, where hurricanes are common, your business name should be protected from potential storms like copycats, competitors, and brand confusion. Why Registering a Federal Trademark with […]
For many U.S. innovators, Europe is a priority market for commercialization and for preventing competitor encroachment. Historically, securing protection across the continent required filing a European Patent Office (EPO) application, prosecuting the application until receiving a grant, and then validating the granted application in each country where protection was needed. This system works, but […]
We are proud to celebrate former judge Alli “A.B.” Majeed, who was named Citizen of the Year at the 2025 Florida Today Volunteer Recognition Awards, held at Eastern Florida State College in Cocoa. The honor recognizes Judge Majeed’s decades of public service, civic leadership, and deep commitment to the Brevard County community. This year […]
Retired Brevard County Court Judge Alli B. “A.B.” Majeed joins full-service law firm Widerman Malek (WM) to help advance its strategic growth initiatives and expand its mediation services. A.B. brings more than 27 years of judicial service and decades of legal experience to the firm. He is also the longest-serving judge in the history […]
Procedural rules can make or break an appeal. A recent decision from Florida’s Fifth District Court of Appeal, Platt v. Cape Marine Services, Inc., underscores that reality. Our firm, Widerman Malek, successfully defended a trial court’s attorneys’ fee award that the appellant sought to overturn based on missing factual findings. The Fifth DCA’s opinion […]
When the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) announced its new Streamlined Claim Set Pilot Program, Widerman Malek partner and patent attorney Dan Pierron quickly shared his analysis with the IP community. His LinkedIn article outlining the program’s details and implications sparked attention across the industry. It even caught the eye of MLex, who […]
Do you jointly own property in Florida, but things aren’t going so well? Maybe it’s a piece of land you inherited with a sibling, or a house you bought with an ex. Now one of you wants to sell and the other refuses. This is exactly the type of situation where a Partition Action […]
As of midnight on October 1, 2025, the United States government has shut down as Congress has been unable to reach a deal on a funding bill for the 2026 fiscal year. How does this affect the United States Patent and Trademark Office? At the time of writing this post, the USPTO remains open […]
