Many non-admiralty lawyers and judges have characterized maritime law as "quirky". On the surface, it may appear that way. But if the truth be known, maritime law makes perfect sense. This column explains a few of its many so-called "quirky"…
The city of Seattle's decision this week to raise its minimum wage to $15 per hour has garnered national attention as the highest minimum wage in the country. Although the increase will be implemented incrementally over the next several years,…
It may not come as a surprise to some, but many people continue to believe it is acceptable, if not desirable, to withhold information when applying for marine insurance. It is neither. Indeed, withholding material information from a marine insurer…
Recently, the Washington Court of Appeals increased the damages available to an assignee of an insured's bad faith claims, holding that a "covenant judgment sets a floor, not a ceiling, on the damages a jury may award." In other words,…
Even though California courts have consistently recognized that employees of insurance companies are not parties to the insurance contract, and thus they cannot be held personally liable for breach of contract or for "bad faith," this week's decision in Bock v…
Q: What is a trademark? A: A trademark can be anything—a word, phrase or symbol—that identifies a person's goods and services to the public. It may consist of sounds, colors, shapes or other elements. It may include the distinctive presentation…
Q: What does a patent protect? A: An issued U.S. patent provides an inventor "the right to exclude others from making, using, offering for sale, or selling" the patented invention in the U.S. or "importing" the invention into the U.S…
Q: What do I need to know when I select a domain name? A: You should use due diligence when selecting a domain name to ensure that you are not appropriating someone else's legitimate trademark rights. In addition, you should…
Q: What is a copyright, and what does it protect? A: Copyright protects almost every kind of original, creative work, including computer software, product designs, architectural sketches, advertising jingles, building plans, and graphic designs, as well as traditional works of…
Wednesday, March 26, 2014 Keith Cousins Coeur d'Alene Press Ron Clark and Matt Hedberg received a verdict in an Idaho federal court case in which the insureds attempted to prove that a vacancy clause in a commercial property policy issued…