The US Supreme Court ruled last month that a warrant is required for police to track a suspect with a GPS device, or the search violates the Fourth Amendment’s protection from unreasonable searches.  Many employees use devices (cell phones, smart phones, tablets and laptop computers) that incorporate GPS location monitoring.  In light of US v. Jones, [...]

Did Madonna infringe the Girls Gone Wild video series trademark by recording a song with the same name?  Probably not, but (with the typical lawyer disclaimer) it depends. Girls Gone Wild is a video series where young women (usually at Spring Break or Mardi Gras parties) agree to be filmed stripping or flashing.  Madonna, halftime [...]

The fair use doctrine hasn’t been this sexy since Biz Markie sampled Alone Again (Naturally). Fair use is news again because Mitt Romney’s latest campaign ad features a news clip of Tom Brokaw reporting in 1977  that the House found Newt Gingrich guilty of ethics violations.  The campaign contends this is fair use, Brokaw is concerned [...]

If your business needs to issue a 1099 Form to a contractor or vendor, it is time to get a W-9 Form on file for each entity.  The W-9 gathers the information needed to document 1099 eligibility, the taxpayer ID number, and a current mailing address. The 1099 form must be submitted to the taxpayer by [...]

Martin Luther King Day has become a day of service for many communities and individuals.  It made me think: what are businesses doing to give back? One strong Triangle trend is social entrepreneurship and its related focus on the triple bottom line.  

Some lenders are starting to aggressively seek corporate borrowers.  Will you be attractive to a potential lender?