Opinions on culture, business, and who owns what. Written by a trademark attorney from the Bronx.
You built something people want.
Do you actually own it?
I grew up in the Bronx watching our culture sell everywhere and pay us almost nowhere. Everybody wanted the music, the style and the language. Somebody else owned it. More than 2,000 clients later, I see the same pattern in podcasts, tech products, restaurants and family brands. The value shows up first. The ownership shows up late, if it shows up at all.
These are opinion pieces, not explainers. Each one takes a real story (a deal, a launch, a rebrand, a fight) and asks four questions: What was built? What became valuable? Who owns it? Who controls it? Sometimes the answer is encouraging, and often it isn't. Either way, you see the decision before it gets expensive.
Facing an ownership decision in your own business? Start with a personalized trademark review.