Online Legal Resources, Part 1

by Alan Grissett, Owner and Project Manager of InfoServe Media, LLC

These links are intended to be legal resources for Web development, not legal advice, and it's recommended that you consult a lawyer if you want professional assurance that the information provided, and your interpretation of it, is appropriate to your particular situation. With that out of the way, here are five online resources that can be helpful in researching and addressing Web development legal issues:

AttorneyFind.com (http://www.attorneyfind.com/)
Perform a search for legal representation from 71 categories of specialization at this site. The option to perform either U.S. or world-wide lawyer searches is offered.

Basic Facts About Trademarks - USPTO (http://www.uspto.gov/web/offices/tac/doc/basic/)
Provided by the US Patent and Trademark Office, this site offers basic facts about trademark use as well as forms and information related to the filing of a trademark.

Business Filings, Inc. (http://www.bizfilings.com/)
From this site business managers can learn about and begin the process of incorporation, LLC formation, and non-profit formation. Business Filings prepares and files the necessary documents with the appropriate state agency.

FindLaw.com Small Business Center (http://smallbiz.findlaw.com/)
Offering articles and guides in the categories of business formation, finance, legal, employment, and operations, FindLaw.com's Small Business Center provides a broad overview of current small business issues. A searchable legal dictionary and message boards are also available.

GigaLaw.com (http://www.gigalaw.com/)
GigaLaw.com offers legal information by way of original articles, a discussion list, free newsletters, and a searchable law archive. It is primarily targeted toward Internet and technology professionals. Topics that are addressed include intellectual property rights, free speech, and privacy.