Filing your trademark registration application is a simple concept. But the process you must follow and the rules governing that process are complex. Many wonder whether they would be able to successfully register a mark on their own, or if they should go with a legal technology website or law firm. Here are the three options you have along with their respective pros and cons:

If you own real estate, it’s likely you recently received a new assessment from your County Assessor.  Whether the property is your primary residence, a multi-unit apartment building, or commercial space, the assessed value can have a significant impact on the property taxes that you will owe the next year and beyond.  The assessed value is determined on March 1 of each year, and is based on several factors depending on the type of property.  The County Assessor considers everything from neighborhood and build quality for residential real estate, to estimated net operating income and capitalization rates for commercial properties.   Because a majority of the factors considered are often subjective and estimated, the assessed values can be significantly higher than the actual value of the property or neighboring properties.  

So if you think your assessment is wrong, what is the next step?

If you are or have ever been through the process of raising private capital for an emerging company, you are well aware of the regulatory framework that seems to have been created to test your commitment.  When you raise money for your venture you are almost undoubtedly selling a "security."  The offering and sale of securities are regulated by both the federal government and each state which has jurisdiction. What this means:  when you raise money, the securities you are offering are either: (1) registered; (2) exempt; or (3) illegal.  Almost every new and growth stage company will rely on an exemption from registration which is an expensive process and offering illegal securities is not a solid business plan.  (Before you ask, there is no "friends and family" exemption.)

Throughout the NFL playoff games these past few weeks, there have been many injuries sustained by players - even some that may impact this weekend’s championship game (think Carolina Panther Thomas Davis’s broken forearm). But, none stick out more than the grizzly hit that left Antonio Brown with a concussion and forced him to miss the AFC divisional game.  When I saw that hit, I immediately thought of all the commercials I had seen for the movie Concussion and how much bad press the topic of concussions is generating for the league. That got me thinking, “I wonder if the NFL signed off on all the league’s and team’s logos used throughout the film.” 

Though it may not get the publicity of cities like Chicago, Cincinnati, or Kansas City, Indianapolis is bolstering its own growing startup community. While nearby major cities hope to become the “Silicon Valley of the Midwest,” Indianapolis boasts a personality of its own – holding strong to classic Midwestern attributes of community support.

I started with Gutwein Law one year ago from January and the occasion prompted me to reflect upon the differences I experienced between the Chicago startup community and the startup community here in Indianapolis.  On a high level, it’s hard to deny the ubiquity of Hoosier Hospitality and its role in providing a foundation for support and comradery of startups versus the seemingly transient feel of Chicago’s startup community at large.  Here’s what I’ve noticed so far.