BugUSA, Inc. – Case Scenario business law 1
BugUSA, Inc. - Case ScenarioThis scenario presents the case of BugUSA, Inc.; as a team, we endeavor to address the legal ramifications of each company's activities. BugUSA, Inc. has legal rights to intellectual property protection, and this paper explores the options available within that realm. WIRETAP, Inc. will face civil liability claims if caught in its underhanded measures, and possibly a civil RICO suit; BugUSA's security guard Walter, however, has also created a case against its own interests. When another company owns the rights to a web domain that suits BugUSA's needs, it faces the challenge of how to acquire the domain with as little hassle and as much protection as possible. A robbed vendor may present new tort liabilities for BugUSA, and we explore potential defenses. Finally, an injured police officer may have further claims against BugUSA in light of the company's manufacturing decisions.
A. Define the different type(s) of legal protections BUG should have for its intellectual property. Explain why these protections are necessary.
A patent would protects BugUSA, Inc. from having other parties copy the design of their electronic devices for 20 years from the date they file with the United States Patent and Trademark Office; a copyright would protect the object codes and source codes of any computer programs created by BugUSA, Inc. or its employees that are used in conjunction with their surveillance equipment; finally, a trademark would protect BugUSA's ladybug logo from being copied by competitors (Mallon, Barnes, Bowers & Langvardt, 2004). Trademarks, like patents, must be registered with the United States Patent and Trademark Office - registration lasts for 10 years rather than 20, but can be renewed for additional 10-year periods (Mallon et al., 2004).
B. Earlier this year, WIRETIME, Inc., a relatively new company trying to compete with BugUSA Inc., sent an employee to BugUSA, Inc. to get a job. BugUSA, Inc., not realizing Steve was an
A. Define the different type(s) of legal protections BUG should have for its intellectual property. Explain why these protections are necessary.
A patent would protects BugUSA, Inc. from having other parties copy the design of their electronic devices for 20 years from the date they file with the United States Patent and Trademark Office; a copyright would protect the object codes and source codes of any computer programs created by BugUSA, Inc. or its employees that are used in conjunction with their surveillance equipment; finally, a trademark would protect BugUSA's ladybug logo from being copied by competitors (Mallon, Barnes, Bowers & Langvardt, 2004). Trademarks, like patents, must be registered with the United States Patent and Trademark Office - registration lasts for 10 years rather than 20, but can be renewed for additional 10-year periods (Mallon et al., 2004).
B. Earlier this year, WIRETIME, Inc., a relatively new company trying to compete with BugUSA Inc., sent an employee to BugUSA, Inc. to get a job. BugUSA, Inc., not realizing Steve was an
References: allor, J. P., Barnes, A.J., Bowers, T., & Langvardt, A. W. (2004). Business law: The ethical, global, and e-commerce environment. (13th edition). The McGraw Hill Companies.