http://legalbasicsforbusiness.com Just another WordPress weblog Fri, 20 Nov 2009 19:12:21 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en Mama Fu’s Noodle House started as a single Pan-Asian restaurant in downtown Atlanta. Founded by entrepreneur Martin Sprock, who expanded the outlet through his franchising company Raving Brands, the restaurant quickly grew from a single eatery to a fast-casual food chain with locations in Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, North Carolina and ... http://legalbasicsforbusiness.com/2009/09/13/when-small-businesses-go-big-deciding-whether-to-franchise-or-license/ Executives at NBC Universal decided to market reality TV show The Apprentice by launching a national watch-and-win sweepstakes. Viewers were given the opportunity to win a prize of $10,000 by voting for certain Apprentice contestants to be exiled from the group and forced to live in a tent. Those who ... http://legalbasicsforbusiness.com/2009/08/26/something-for-nothing-digital-and-mobile-promotions-sweepstakes-and-contests/ If you pay the monthly bill for your employee’s Blackberry, are you required to pay your employee for the time spent checking work-related emails and text messages? T-Mobile retail associates recently made headlines by challenging the mobile provider’s requirement that employees review their company-issued smart devices off the clock. On ... http://legalbasicsforbusiness.com/2009/08/20/plugging-in-clocking-in/ “The LLC was dissolved effective 1/21/05 and therefore there is nothing to sue! We did not receive the Notice of Claim prior to the dissolution so we should be clear according to our attorney. Rejoice! Pat” In 2005, a bookkeeper at the Washington construction firm Colonial Development, LLC expressed ... http://legalbasicsforbusiness.com/2009/06/11/calling-it-quits/ Visit the site tightpod.com and you will be redirected to a webpage that sells a product called TightJacket, a cloth laptop case. Oddly, despite the domain name there is no mention of the brand name TightPod anywhere on the site or any indication of the legal troubles that led to ... http://legalbasicsforbusiness.com/2009/06/08/a-guide-to-cease-and-desist-letters/ After 20 years of employment, Rowena Cheung quit her job with Fada International, an importer of jewelry and precious stones. She not only left the company with trade experience, but also an extensive rolodex of client contacts which she used to launch her own jewelry business. However, Cheung had signed ... http://legalbasicsforbusiness.com/2009/05/31/out-of-the-bag/ San Francisco-based marketing company Member Source Media wanted to drive consumers to its branded online promotions. Like its competitors, the company registered several domain names, paid for web advertising and launched a pro-active email marketing campaign. However, the company distinguished itself from other web marketers by relying on a single ... http://legalbasicsforbusiness.com/2009/05/25/pay-to-play-the-risks-and-liabilities-of-internet-advertising/ In 2007, a 23 year-old woman hailed a Greater Houston Transportation cab and asked the driver to take her home. He began to drive toward Kingwood, a suburb outside of Houston where she lived, but ignored her request to make the exit. When the woman threatened to call the police, ... http://legalbasicsforbusiness.com/2009/05/19/independentcontractor/ Herbal tea manufacturer Traditional Medicinals wanted to market a trademarked laxative tea product called Smooth Move at the website SmoothMove.com. In 2008, the California-based company tried to register the domain but discovered that the domain had already been claimed by WorldWide Media, an entity which had “parked” the domain with ... http://legalbasicsforbusiness.com/2009/05/14/taking-names/ The excitement of launching a business can be as overwhelming as the day-to-day demands of making the new venture work. At the outset, it can be difficult to imagine that a new product, vendor deal or client account could lead to complications that would put your personal assets or, worse ... http://legalbasicsforbusiness.com/2009/05/07/personal-assets-at-risk/