And Now for Year Four

Wow! It’s hard to wrap my head around the fact that Spear IP celebrates its third anniversary this month. Here’s a look back at the great opportunities year three brought with it, and a peek at what’s in store for year number four.

Looking Back on Year Three

Young&BosSHE Podcast

I had the great pleasure of sitting down with Hope Cooper Buckner, host of the Young&BosSHE podcast, in February of this year. Young&BosSHE is a multimedia platform that was created by four young professional “SHEs” in pursuit of elevating young professional women of all races, religions, ethnicities, sexualities, classes, sizes, and abilities. Click here to access the episode (and look at the other great content on this future-is-female-powered site!).

American Bar Association IP Conference Presentation

Flyer for American Bar Association presentation on Multijurisdictional Practice and the Modern IP Attorney featuring Maria Spear Ollis, Tara Aaron, Michael McCabe, Jr., Frank West, and Thomas Wong at the 33rd annual Intellectual Property Law Conference

April 2018 marked the American Bar Association’s 33rd annual Spring IP conference. I was very humbled and fortunate to have my proposed presentation accepted: Multijurisdictional Practice and the Modern IP Attorney. Did your eyes glaze over a little bit? It was essentially a presentation and discussion on where the line is arguably drawn when it comes to practicing law outside of your state. IP is largely governed by Federal Law, and yet, of course, attorneys are licensed to practice law by states. (It’s why we suffer through the bar exam. Poor us.) SO, this program opened up the discussion on the modern IP attorney, who might reach a national audience in today’s social-media and online-based marketplace, and when to decline representing someone based on “jurisdiction” (location). The discussion was very interesting and made us presenters, along with the participants, think!

Expansion! Put Your Hands Up for Detroit

And speaking of multiple jurisdictions, I became officially licensed to practice in the State of Michigan, allowing Spear IP to open its Midwest office in the metro Detroit area.

Launched: The Spear IP YouTube Channel

Bump, set, spike! The YouTube channel was the big, main goal for Year Three and with the help of Kristin at NeuDesign Company (that intro animation on the channel is perfection), we did it! Each week, Spear IP releases several short videos on quick topics. Things like “The Difference Between Trademark and Copyright” and “The Benefits of Copyright Registration.” I couldn’t be happier with the feedback I’ve gotten from these videos. Just wait -- more content is coming in Year Four!

Year Three in Blog Posts

Take a look at the topics we've covered throughout Year Three.[table id=20 /]

What’s Ahead in Year Four

Rising Tide Guest Contribution

If you’re not familiar with the Rising Tide Society (a self-described “community built by creatives for creatives,”) and you’re a creative professional, do yourself a favor and poke around their website! The name of the Society comes from the expression “a rising tide lifts all boats,” and they are all about elevating community over competition.

I am so pleased to share that, in the coming weeks, the Rising Tide Society is publishing a guest blog post authored by yours truly, entitled “Four Urban Legends on Copyright Protection You Should Stop Believing.” Keep your eyes peeled on the Spear IP and Rising Tide socials for the post! (And, for more about the Rising Tide Society, click here.)

Fashion Law CLE in Chicago

Attorneys in a majority of states have to have a certain number of CLE (or “continuing legal education”) hours completed each year. It keeps us sharp and up-to-date on legal developments so we can pass along that knowledge to our clients! In December 2018 I will be traveling to the Windy City to present on representing a growing fashion brand. The CLE program will cover intellectual property, compliance, and contracts.

More Educational and Downloadable Resources

You’ve already downloaded the Essential Checklist for Fashion Brands or the Essential Checklist for Modern Brands, right? Good for you! Some of you may have even purchased a contract template or two. In year four, there are more contract templates and free guides coming. (Think: a contract for brand owners to use with social media influencers, a free guide to choosing a strong trademark, and more!).

Thanks to each and everyone of you — clients and friends of Spear IP — for your support in year three. Cheers for year four!