A family feud is a rabit hole to avoid. Unfortunately, a court battle has developed between Rudolph and Ronald Isley, the iconic group members of The Isley Brothers, known for hits such as “Twist and Shout” and “It’s Your Thing.”

Billionaire Rihanna has been elevating her empire. More recently, she’s reportedly filed a trademark for a potential new venture, Fenty Hair. This brings into question — how essential is a trademark in the business world? Trademark attorney Rosezena J. Pierce, who leads RJ Pierce Law Group, one of the top 50 trademark firms in the country, stopped by AfroTech to answer all of our burning questions on how important trademarking is in order to establish brand authority and protect yourself as an entrepreneur.

When the GOAT conversation regarding boxing comes up, the name Ali will likely appear near or at the top of everyone’s list. However, not many people thought there would be a day when Ali v. Ali could be a reality. A Notice of Opposition was filed by the company that owns Muhammad Ali’s trademark, attempting to stop his daughter Laila Ali from registering her name.

Is it really Christmas without hearing Mariah Carey’s “All I Want For Christmas is You?” Many would agree that it isn’t. The music legend released the classic in 1994, and nearly three decades later, it continues to be blasted on the airwaves, in homes, etc. during the holidays. For this iconic fact along with other reasons, Carey trademarked “Queen of Christmas.” But apparently, the move has ruffled feathers ahead of the cheerful season.

Wingstop is making headlines, but this time it isn’t because of rapper and Wingstop franchise owner Rick Ross. Business Insider reports Wingstop filed a multi-class trademark to the US Patent and Trademark Office on Feb. 25 as it seems to be looking to secure a spot in the metaverse. The application reportedly includes “downloadable virtual goods” such as non-fungible tokens (NFTs), virtual food, and virtual drink. Wingstop may be planning for users to trade NFTs, digital assets, and artwork through an online marketplace. In addition, the trademark extends to downloadable software for trading cryptocurrency, NFTs, digital tokens, downloadable loyalty, and reward cards. Wingstop states users will benefit from loyalty and reward cards not only in the virtual world but in real life, too. A Wingstop spokesperson could not disclose further details about Wingstop’s plans in the metaverse but they were able to reveal, “the filing signifies an exciting public step to serve the world flavor...

Competition in every industry is getting fierce. Unfortunately, this can result in some individuals doing everything they can to survive in their industry, even infringing copyrights and trademarks in order to beat the competition. However, there are a few ways you can protect your intellectual property from being snatched by the competition. If your copyright or trademark is registered, no one will be able to use your creations without your approval. Individuals who are new to the world of intellectual property may wonder what the key differences are between copyrights and trademarks. Trademark vs. Copyright Although there are similarities between trademarks and copyrights, the differences between trademark and copyright are significant. These types of legal safeguards may sometimes overlap, and this can sometimes result in the loss of money and time when the wrong type of protection is registered. What is a Trademark? A trademark is anything that represents your brand in the...