Los Angeles business attorney, Sepi Ghafouri, is now a featured writer on legal topics for a new women’s magazine entitled Ladies Touch Magazine.

Ladies Touch Magazine focuses on topics of interest for women in six issues annually including entertainment, fashion, lifestyle, health and more. Sepi Ghafouri has written an article about trademarks in the premiere issue and will be writing on legal topics in the fields of entertainment, business, intellectual property and family law in future issues. More information about Ladies Touch Magazine may be found on www.ladiestouchmagazine.com.

“As a Los Angeles business attorney, I am responsive to my clients’ legal needs and value educating them on the intricacies of their legal matters,” said Sepi Ghafouri Owner of the Law Office of Sepi Ghafouri. “Ladies Touch Magazine provides another medium for me to share my depth of experience and educate individuals in many areas of law.”

The Law Office of Sepi Ghafouri offers legal representation in many areas of law, including business and corporate law, family law, intellectual property law, entertainment law and more. Their mission is to provide clients with a comfortable environment where they are legally protected, valued and respected.

About The Law Offices of Sepi Ghafouri
The Law Office of Sepi Ghafouri is a unique law boutique offering clients superior legal representation. They take pride in offering clients depth of experience and a creative approach in many areas of law, including business and corporate law. As business opportunities and legal matters grow in size and complexity, relationships built on trust, respect, and integrity are ever more important. The Law Office of Sepi Ghafouri builds close-working relationships with clients based on these principles, defining the culture and service philosophy at the Law Office of Sepi Ghafouri.

The Law Office of Sepi Ghafouri provides legal representation to clients in the following California areas: Beverly Hills, Hollywood, West Hollywood, Long Beach, Santa Monica, Orange County, Bay Area, Los Angeles and the Greater Los Angeles area, San Jose, Santa Clara, Palo Alto, San Francisco, Silicon Valley, Marin, Sunnyvale, Mountain View.

For more information about the Law Office of Sepi Ghafouri visit http://sepilaw.com/.
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Are you considering starting your own business but not sure which business type is right for you? This article will give you some basic information about the different kinds of business types that currently exist in California (with the exception of non-profits). It is always important to seek the guidance of an attorney to make a final decision, but this article will help you get your ideas flowing in the right direction.

In California, there are currently six business types:

• Sole Proprietorship,
• Limited Liability Partnership,
• Limited Liability Company,
• Limited Partnership,
• General Partnership,
• Corporation.

In a Sole Proprietorship, one individual owns and operates a business. A sole proprietor has complete control of the business, receives all profits from and is responsible for taxes and liabilities of the business. A sole proprietorship can be formed using the owner’s name. However, if another name is used, a Fictitious Business Name Statement must be filed with the county where the principal place of business is located. No formation documents are required to be filed with the California Secretary of State. Other state filings may be required depending on the type of business. This type of business type poses the greatest legal exposure to liability. However, the ease of startup costs makes this advantageous to some people. This option makes it difficult to raise capital.

A Limited Liability Partnership (LLP) is a partnership that may be formed by individuals that are engaged in the practice of public accountancy, the practice of law, the practice of architecture, the practice of engineering or the practice of land surveying. An LLP may also provide services or facilities to a California registered LLP that practices public accountancy or law, or to a foreign LLP. In some circumstances an LLP is required by law in some of these fields to maintain certain liability insurances. To register an LLP, forms need to be filed with the California Secretary of State.

A California Limited Liability Company (LLC) generally offers liability protection similar to that of a corporation but is taxed differently. The individuals running the LLC are called members. In California, an LLC may have one or more members. California LLCs may be managed by one or more managers or one or more members. In addition to filing the applicable documents with the Secretary of State, an operating agreement among the members as to the affairs of the LLC and the conduct of its business is required. The LLC does not file the operating agreement with the Secretary of State but maintains it at the office where the LLC’s records are kept. An LLC provides liability protection and is a very flexible business type.

The advantages of a Limited Liability Company include limited liability protection for the owners, flexible profit distribution, no minutes required and flow through taxation. The disadvantages are that LLCs have a limited life where the LLC is dissolved when a member dies or undergoes bankruptcy. LLCs do not go public, and there is more paperwork involved as compared to a SP or Partnership.

A California Limited Partnership (LP) may provide limited legal liability for some partners. There must be at least one general partner that acts as the controlling partner and one limited partner whose liability is normally limited to the amount of control or participation of the limited partner. General partners of an LP have unlimited personal liability for the LP’s debts and obligation. Forms must be filed with the Secretary of State in order to form an LP.

A California General Partnership (GP) must have two or more persons engaged in a business for profit. Except as otherwise stated by law, all partners are liable jointly and severally for all obligations of the partnership unless agreed by the claimant. Profits are taxed as personal income for the partners. To register a GP at the state level, a form must be filed with the Secretary of State. This is optional.

All partnerships would be wise to have a partnership agreement drafted. The advantages of forming a partnership are ease of formation, low start of cost, having additional sources of capital available through the partners and a broader management base. The disadvantages can be unlimited liability of general partners in a GP, the liability of partners for the debts of the business and difficulty finding suitable partners.

A California Corporation is a legal entity which exists separately from its owners. While normally limiting the owners from personal liability, taxes are levied on the corporation as well as on the shareholders. The sale of stocks or bonds can generate additional capital and the longevity of the corporation can continue past the death of the owners. To form a corporation in California, forms must be filed with the California Secretary of State.

The advantages of a corporation are liability protection for the owners, raising additional capital by selling share or by transfer of asserts to the corporation, business continuity when the original owners retire, sell their interest or die, and opportunities for family members in terms of tax and estate planning. The disadvantages of a corporation include the additional costs and time involved with starting and administering a corporation.

Our office handles business formation of all types. Feel free to contact our office for further information about Los Angeles business law and fees at 310-702-7787 or via www.sepilaw.com.

Disclaimer: The information you obtain in this article whether through an online site or magazine is not, nor is it intended to be, legal advice. You should consult an attorney for advice regarding your individual situation. We invite you to contact us and welcome your calls, letters and electronic mail. Contacting us does not create an attorney-client relationship. Please do not send any confidential information to us until such time as an attorney-client relationship has been established.

Everyone has heard of the word trademark or service mark, but do you really know what these are, what the difference is between trademarks, service marks, copyrights and patents, if you need one, and why it is smart to file your trademark or service mark with the United States Patent and Trademark Office?

This article about Los Angeles intellectual property law, specifically trademarks, will answer these questions for you.

A trademark is a word, phrase, symbol, or design, or a combination thereof, that identifies and distinguishes the source of the goods of one party from those of others.

A service mark is the same as a trademark, except that it identifies and distinguishes the source of a service rather than goods. I will use the word trademark to refer to both trademarks and service marks throughout the rest of this article.

Copyright is a form of protection provided by the laws of the United States

to the authors of “original works of authorship,” including literary, dramatic, musical, artistic, and certain other intellectual property.

You may have a protectable copyright and trademark in one good or service and need to register both. The Law office of Sepi Ghafouri provides Los Angeles intellectual property law consultations and can help you determine if you need both for your good or service.

A patent protects an invention.

A trademark protects brand names and logos on goods or services. When you create a brand name or logo you automatically have a trademark, however it is wise to register your trademark with either your state trademark office or the United States Patent and Trademark office. While it is not required that a business or a person registers their trademark, here are the advantages of doing so; (1)Public notice of your claim of ownership of the mark; (2) The trademark office will presume that you or your business owns the mark and that you have an exclusive right to use the mark nationwide, (3) The ability to bring a lawsuit concerning the mark in federal court if someone is using your mark; (4) The use of the U.S. registration as a basis to obtain registration in foreign countries, (5) The ability to record the U.S. registration with the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Service to prevent importation of infringing foreign goods, (6) The right to use the federal registration symbol ®, and (7) Listing in the United States Patent and Trademark Office’s online databases.

When you have a trademark and have not yet registered it with the Trademark Office, you can use the letters TM (Trademark) or SM (Service Mark) on your logo or brand name to let the people know you are claiming ownership of the mark.

Once the registration is complete with the trademark office, you may use the symbol®.

There are many advantages to registering your trademark with the United States Patent and Trademark Office a discussed above.

It is wise to consult and hire a Los Angeles intellectual property law attorney to register your trademark because trademark laws are very specific and expansive. While there are companies that do bulk filing of trademarks, most of the time the trademarks are not filed by licensed attorneys and due to the complexities involved in dealing with the Trademark Office, the fee you pay these companies may end up costing you more in the long run.

There is a large list of categories that your good or service may or may not fall under which you must pick. You can choose to protect your brand name and logo under one category or several. It is wise to consult with a Los Angeles intellectual property law attorney about what classes you want to choose.

It is also important to understand that when you register your mark, you need to let the Trademark Office know whether you are already using the logo or brand in commerce or if you are intending to use the logo or brand in commerce. There are different fees and time limits imposed by the Trademark Office depending on which circumstance you fall under.

At our office, we will consult with you on your trademark needs, conduct a thorough search for the logo or brand name you want to use (remember that if someone else is already using the logo or name for that specific good or service the chances are you may not be able to), guide you in choosing the appropriate classes for your goods or service, register your mark and respond to general trademark office inquiries (we will handle appeals to the trademark office for an additional fee) until your trademark is finalized.

It is also possible to obtain international trademark registration. Feel free to contact our office for further information about Los Angeles intellectual property law, trademark registration and fees at 310-702-7787 or via www.sepilaw.com

Disclaimer: The information you obtain at this site is not, nor is it intended to be, legal advice. You should consult an attorney for advice regarding your individual situation. We invite you to contact us and welcome your calls, letters and electronic mail. Contacting us does not create an attorney-client relationship. Please do not send any confidential information to us until such time as an attorney-client relationship has been established.

Los Angeles attorney, Sepi Ghafouri, is pleased to announce the launch of a new website for The Law Office of Sepi Ghafouri.

“I am so excited about the launch of the new website,” said Los Angeles attorney, Sepi Ghafouri. “The new site will allow us to better serve our clients by providing them another resource where they can access information about our practice and what we represent.”

The Law Office of Sepi Ghafouri offers legal representation in many areas of law, including business and corporate law, family law, intellectual property law, entertainment law and more.

Their mission is to provide clients with a comfortable environment where they are legally protected, valued and respected. The Law Office of Sepi Ghafouri is responsive to their clients’ legal needs and values educating them on the intricacies of their legal matters via open communication. They thrive on creating lasting relationships with their clients – relationships that are built on trust.

For more information about Los Angeles attorney, Sepi Ghafouri, please contact The Law Office of Sepi Ghafouri.

About The Law Offices of Sepi Ghafouri

The Law Office of Sepi Ghafouri is a unique law boutique offering clients superior legal representation. They take pride in offering clients depth of experience and a creative approach in many areas of law, including business and corporate law. As business opportunities and legal matters grow in size and complexity, relationships built on trust, respect, and integrity are ever more important. The Law Office of Sepi Ghafouri builds close-working relationships with clients based on these principles, defining the culture and service philosophy at the Law Office of Sepi Ghafouri.

The Law Office of Sepi Ghafouri provides legal representation to clients in the following California areas: Beverly Hills, Hollywood, West Hollywood, Long Beach, Santa Monica, Orange County, Bay Area, Los Angeles and the Greater Los Angeles area, San Jose, Santa Clara, Palo Alto, San Francisco, Silicon Valley, Marin, Sunnyvale, Mountain View.

For more information about the Law Office of Sepi Ghafouri visit http://sepilaw.com/.

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As a Los Angeles Copyright Attorney, I’ve handled many cases dealing with music, art and publications among other things. Copyright is a form of protection given by United States Laws to the authors/creators of original works of authorship, including literary, dramatic, musical, artistic and certain other intellectual works. The 1976 Copyright Act gives the owner of the Copyright the exclusive right to do or authorize others to reproduce, distribute, perform, display publicly or make derivative copies of the work. Copyright is given to published and unpublished works. The 1976 Copyright Act defines publication as, “The distribution of copies or phonorecords of a work to the public by sale or other transfer of ownership, or by rental, lease, or lending. The offering to distribute copies or phonorecords to a group of persons for purposes of further distribution, public performance, or public display constitutes publication. A public performance or display of a work does not of itself constitute publication.”

A Copyright is created automatically when a person authors/creates a work in fixed form. In other words, ideas in one’s head are not given Copyright protection! Employees who are hired to author/create works do not have a Copyright to the work, the employer does. It is illegal anyone to violate any of the rights provided by the Copyright law to the owner of Copyright. There are certain instances where one may use another Copyright without violating the law. The Doctrine of Fair Use is one such instance.

Works created after January 1, 1978 are given a term of protection of 70 years plus the span of the author’s life.

Copyright registration is not required in order to have Copyright protection. However, Copyright registration does provide the owner with these advantages; a public record, the right to file an infringement lawsuit, statutory damages and attorneys fees available in a court action in addition to actual damages and profits if the Copyright is registered within three months of publication, the right to record the Copyright with US Customs to prevent importation of infringing copies, and prima facie evidence in Court of the validity of the Copyright if registered within five years of publication.

For more information from Los Angeles Copyright Attorney, Sepi Ghafouri, please contact us. You can also register your Copyright by visiting www.copyright.gov.

Disclaimer: The information you obtain at this site is not, nor is it intended to be, legal advice. You should consult an attorney for advice regarding your individual situation. We invite you to contact us and welcome your calls, letters and electronic mail. Contacting us does not create an attorney-client relationship. Please do not send any confidential information to us until such time as an attorney-client relationship has been established.