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Biography
Alan Harrison is a mechanical and nuclear engineer who served as an officer in the United States Navy Submarine Force before becoming an attorney. He has practiced as an attorney since 2010, and addresses clients' legal matters with diligence and precision. Alan especially enjoys helping small and medium business owners and founders with the legal issues that arise when starting and operating a closely held business. LLC and partnership agreements and disputes are a part of his practice. He also can address intellectual property risks, procurement, and protection.
Education
- University of Connecticut School of Law
- J.D. | Intellectual Property
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- Northeastern University
- B.S. | Mechanical Engineering
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- Honors: magna cum laude
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Professional Experience
- Principal
- Sandollar
- - Current
- Attorney
- Whitmyer IP Group
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- Attorney
- Botos Churchill IP Law
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- Attorney
- Otterstedt, Ellenbogen & Kammer
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- Attorney
- McCormick, Paulding & Huber
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- Patent Agent
- McCormick, Paulding & Huber
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Publications
Articles & Publications
- Patents: Beyond the Basics – Current Risks and Opportunities (Part 1)
- Connecticut Innovations
Speaking Engagements
- IP Considerations for Business Transitions, CBA Business Law Section, Elm City Club, New Haven CT
- Connecticut Bar Association
- One point five hour presentation about the significance of intellectual property in business transitions (start up, change of form, and purchase/sale).
Certifications
- Patent Attorney
- United States Patent and Trademark Office
Awards
- Honored Listee
- Marquis Who's Who
- Excellence for the Future - Contracts
- Center for Computer-Assisted Legal Instruction
- Top student in law school cohort.
- Excellence for the Future - Torts
- Center for Computer-Assisted Legal Instruction
- Top student in law school cohort.
Professional Associations
- Connecticut State Bar
- Current
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- Tau Beta Pi Alumni Chapter - Central Connecticut
- Board member
- Current
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Jurisdictions Admitted to Practice
- Connecticut
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- USPTO
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Fees
- Free Consultation
- Credit Cards Accepted
Practice Areas
- Business Law
- Business Contracts, Business Dissolution, Business Finance, Business Formation, Franchising, Mergers & Acquisitions, Partnership & Shareholder Disputes
- Intellectual Property
- Trademarks
- Trademark Litigation, Trademark Registration
- Patents
- Patent Appeals, Patent Prosecution
Languages
- English: Spoken, Written
- Spanish: Spoken, Written
Legal Answers
- Q. Can I sell my PDF book on social media without copyright registration or a business license?
- A: You only need a business license to have a physical place of business in a given locale, or to go into customers' homes to perform a service. You don't need a business license to sell a book online. You also don't need to register a copyright in order to sell your book.
Your main risk with selling a book online is that you might be accused of infringing someone else's copyright. Your secondary risk is that someone might entirely rip off your book and sell it as their own. Registering a copyright would give you the right to sue that someone in Federal court.
Copyright registration takes about a month and costs a few hundred dollars including attorney fees, or if you are ... Read More
- Q. Can I change wording on a brand's logo for apparel I sell?
- A: Most likely if the logo is attractive, the company has established common law trade dress protection for its overall appearance. Just changing the words without changing the design could infringe on the trade dress rights and lead to a lawsuit.
- Q. Trademark/copyright issue on using university-associated Catholic name
- A: Trade mark registrations are limited to specific goods / services for which the registrant is *actually* using the mark. A registration that claims goods / services for which the registrant does not use the mark, often can be canceled.
Assuming that the university is not in the classified ad business, their registration probably doesn't recite classified ads as something it covers. The legal waters get a little murky around this point; does the university actually do anything that is "similar" to classified ads? If so, then they might have an argument for "natural expansion" of their trade mark into your proposed line of business.
Any trade mark attorney could advise ... Read More
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