Category Archives: Articles
Crowdfunding Your Business – An Intro to Title III of the JOBS Act
By Daniel Richardson On April 5, 2012, the Jumpstart Our Business Startups Act (JOBS Act) became law. The JOBS Act seeks to “increase job creation and economic growth by improving access to the public capital markets for emerging growth companies.”[1] Title III of the JOBS Act or the “Capital Raising Online While Deterring Fraud and […]
Earned Income Tax Credit Notice
California employers, take note: you are required to give notice to all your employees about the earned income tax credit at about the time you give them their W-2 or 1099 forms. If you have individuals who are independent contractors, give them notice as well. Here is the recommended language, which you can print on […]
Towersquatting (and Contributory Cybersquatting)
by Andrew Jacobson The cybersquatter is a parasite that benefits from an internet user’s confusion who thinks that they are accessing a popular website, when they really get something else. The US banned cybersquatting in 1999’s Anticybersquatting Consumer Protection Act (“ACPA”) and is codified at 15 U.S.C. § 1125(d). Malaysia’s oil company, Petronas, discovered a […]
YogaGlo Patent Loses Its Shine
By: Sharon Adams YogaGlo Patent # 8,605,152, Figure 1 INTRODUCTION There has been much controversy in the yoga community about the recent issuance of a patent to YogaGlo. The YogaGlo patent contains claims for videoing a yoga instructor teaching students, with an unobstructed line of sight from video camera to the instructor. There are so […]
California Creates New Corporate Structures Enabling For-Profit Corporations To Consider the Public Benefit
Sharon Adams Introduction In January 2012, California created two new state corporate structures: (1) flexible purpose corporations, and (2) benefit corporations. Unlike traditional for-profit corporations, these new corporate structures are required to provide for benefit to the public. Unlike traditional non-profit corporations, these new corporate entities are not tax […]
What Could Go Wrong With a Wooden Horse?
One of the major justifications small business owners have for not protecting their information more carefully is “who would want our information? We’re just a small firm that doesn’t handle anything important for anybody.” A recent security breach reveals the risks. A small software service that provides back-end software solutions for car-hire services had its […]
Veterans
Bay Oak Law’s own Daniel Gwozdz was recognized by the Bar Association of San Francisco on Veteran’s Day for his service in the US Army between 2000 and 2005. Dan was a scout for the legendary 10th Mountain Division, and served during operations in Operation Joint Guardian in Kosovo, and Operation Iraqi Freedom.
California’s New LLC Law and You
by: Daniel E Gwozdz Daniel E Gwozdz is a 2012 graduate of Gonzaga School of Law and the newest attorney at Bay Oak Law. If the title above grabbed your attention, chances are that you are either a member of an Limited Liability Company or are interested in forming one. Limited Liability Companies, or LLCs, are […]
New I-9 Form
The USCIS has introduced a new I-9 form that will have to be used for new employees. While use is currently voluntary, it will be required from May onward. No need to panic, however — it does not have to be used for current employees, only those who are new, or return to the company after being […]
Now That’s a Hallmark Moment
When you think of Hallmark, you often think of the word “giving.” In a recent case, though, Hallmark will be doing the getting: a repayment of a substantial severance package by a former executive who later used Hallmark’s trade secrets to compete against it. As the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeal explained in Hallmark Cards, […]
