So raise your hand if you’ve heard about the sticky/ugly/disgusting situation that blogger Turner Barr from Around the World in 80 Jobs is now facing.
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What’s that? You haven’t heard? Stop being sheepish. Or…do you mean to say…you haven’t heard?
Maybe you haven’t, in which case you should know four things:
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- Turner Barr is a blogger who runs a site called Around the World in 80 Jobs.
- Behemoth corporation Adecco recently ripped off his entire brand, using the name “Around the World in 80 Jobs” as the name of a new contest, copying his entire concept and even hiring a look alike actor for their marketing videos.
- Barr is faced with a difficult legal situation, because what was once his baby? That he spent years building? Is now getting trademarked by someone else with millions of dollars, who will profit from the name–if the trademark gets approved. Barr isn’t even first in Google searches any more for his own brand name.
- This could happen to you. And you will be pissed.
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Here’s the deal.
Just because you’re running an online business doesn’t mean you should take it less seriously than a brick and mortar business. I see so many small business owners & bloggers half-assing things–big time. From skipping things like getting your business actually registered as a business, to neglecting to trademark brand names, to NOT PAYING TAXES, to not using contracts (this is a sin), to not separating their business and personal income and expenses…and more. Bottom line?
Online business owners & bloggers are skating on thin ice. (I always wanted to use that phrase.)
Sure, what’s happening to Barr is a fucking disgrace. Adecco should be ashamed. But none of that matters, because the facts are the facts–Adecco has filed the trademark, because Barr dropped the ball. Try saying that tongue twister three times.
A lot of people believe if you own the domain, and you’ve got a cute little copyright symbol in your footer, you’re protected.
GUESS AGAIN.
That’s like opening a storefront in downtown Philadelphia, plopping a makeshift sign out front, and then drawing a little © or ™ sign in hot purple chalk on the sidewalk. You think anyone’s going to take you seriously? Please. And much less the big, bad guys that have a vested interest and decide they want to steal your brand, your name, your content, your eBook, your digital program, your copy, your design, your “manifesto”…or something else. (You know I hate the word “manifesto,” right?)
If you want to avoid becoming the next Turner Barr (much love to you Turner, but let this be a lesson to all of us):
Click here to register for our free email-based legal clinic we’ve decided to give, because of instances like this, starting July 8th for small business owners, bloggers, and anyone who has a web presence online. It’s called Small Business Bodyguard, and I’ll be putting on the free Clinic with a team of lawyers, one of which is my very own, and all of the must-know legal lessons will be delivered to you via email over a two week period. We’ll be talking about things like protecting your intellectual property, the kind of language you need in your contracts to make sure you get PAID, giving you a collection of cut/paste disclaimers you can use to protect yourself (one career coach we know recently got sued because someone followed her advice in a blog post, and then lost their job)…and more. Go enter your email and we’ll send you the first lesson on July 8th. Again, it’s free. Take advantage. Cover your ass–before your ass gets busted.
