F*cking Up my Contract for Content Marketing World 

Content Marketing World (CMWorld) is one of my favorite events every year. They have the best of the best speaking about what’s working with content marketing. Like every year when I have the privilege of being a speaker, I’m required to sign a contract. They recently sent me a link to the speaker contract landing… [Continue Reading]

Registered Trade Name vs Registered Trademark: Who Wins?

Last week, I wrote about intellectual property disputes where one side had the website domain and the other side has the registered trademark. Someone asked me how do registered trade names factor into these situations. What’s a Trade Name? In general, a trade name is something you register with your state. This is different than… [Continue Reading]

You Have the Domain. They Have the Trademark. Who Wins in the IP Dispute?

I saw this scenario come through my Reddit feed. Two U.S. companies are in the same industry and using the same name for their brand. One has the dot-com web domain. The other has registered the brand as a trademark with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). Which company should get to use the… [Continue Reading]

Cost to Move a Business from California to Arizona

UPDATE (1/10/2023): The process for moving a corporation from California to Arizona has recently changed! Read about the new, easier, more cost-effective way to move your company to Arizona here. Frequently, I receive emails from people who need help moving their business from California to Arizona. They typically find me after reading my post about… [Continue Reading]

Funny but Binding Contract Terms for Late Payments

One of the biggest challenges facing small businesses seems to be getting clients to pay their bills. Dealing with non-paying clients or delinquent clients is one the most common complaints I hear about from other entrepreneurs. Your first line of defense against these people is in your contract. Create an Upside When Clients Don’t Pay… [Continue Reading]

It’s the Law: Put Down Your Phone and Drive

Starting January 1, 2021, you can be ticketed in Arizona if you talk or text on a cell phone while driving unless the device is in a hands-free mode. The same law also applies to tablets as well as music and gaming devices It’s the 48th state to ban texting while driving. (Missouri and Montana… [Continue Reading]

Who We Are

Sunset in AZ by Miguel Folch

Carter Law Firm is the umbrella company for my professional speaking and writing activities. My goals are to give people the legal foundation and educational tools they need to run with their ideas and to empower people to pursue their crazy … [Read More]

Speaking Engagements

You’ve read my blog posts and you’ve seen my YouTube videos, now you can hire me to speak at your event or organization. I am available to speak at conferences, continuing legal education events (CLEs), trainings, webinars, podcasts, radio shows, TV … [Read More]

Books

I have been a passionate blogger since 2009. After contributing to several books, I decided to become an author myself. My books expand on many of the topics that have appeared on my blog posts over the years and breaks down legal concepts so … [Read more]

Featured Posts

Copyright Protection – Ideas vs Expression

A common mistake among professional creatives and amateur is understanding the scope of copyright protection, In the U.S., when you have a copyright, you have protection for your original expression, not the ideas contained within your work. What Does Copyright Protect Copyright applies when you have an “original work of authorship” that is “fixed in […]

Can You Trademark a Hashtag?

I spoke at TechPhx on Social Media Horror Stories from the Legal Trenches. One of the stories I told was Turner Barr’s experience with having his blog, Around the World in 80 Jobs, essentially shut down because another company registered the trademark in the same name. At the end of my talk, someone asked if […]

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