AI Law Blog

The metaverse is an emerging, digital environment that will allow users to do almost everything they do in real life, e.g., run businesses, buy real estate, enter into contracts, and socialize, albeit in a virtual setting. It is often described as the next, natural iteration of the current internet.

In the six months since Facebook, Inc. rebranded to Meta Platforms, Inc., the idea of the “metaverse” has catapulted from a little-known science fiction fantasy to the forefront of popular culture. This year, digital real estate sales in the metaverse are expected to double and reach $1 Billion.[1]

The metaverse is widely regarded as the next frontier in digital commerce, with businesses across industries spending millions of dollars buying digital real estate and investing in platforms to be market leaders. Alcohol beverage brands are also leading the charge in forays into the metaverse.

The tremendous popularity of social networks and advances in virtual reality (VR) and distributed ledger technology are helping to usher in a new technological frontier: an emerging computer-generated universe often called Metaverse.

Many brands have taken steps to proactively protect their intellectual property rights for use in connection with metaverse-related goods and services. This may include filing new trademark registrations or purchasing blockchain domains. But enforcing those rights poses a significant challenge.

In the six months since Facebook, Inc. rebranded to Meta Platforms, Inc., the idea of the “metaverse” has catapulted from a little-known science fiction fantasy to the forefront of popular culture.

Following in the footsteps of Californians, Coloradoans, Arizonans, and Bay Staters, denizens of the Metaverse can now step inside a dispensary and purchase cannabis products. Two brands have staked claims to their own Metaverse storefronts, where they will sell products to real-life addresses.

Non-Fungible Trademark Infringement or Nominative Fair Use Token? Nike -v- StockX Duel Is on Pace To Shape the Future of the Metaverse

The Metaverse is a new frontier of innovation in social and business interaction, and pioneers of this technology are rushing to develop its building blocks and protect their intellectual property (IP) rights. However, patenting this cutting-edge technology is not without challenges.

Federal Agencies Ordered to Consider a National Digital Currency, Financial and Criminal Regulations. 

The advent of distributed ledger technology has ushered in a new digital era – a decentralized internet, neither owned nor controlled by a central authority. Blockchain enthusiasts hail this lack of centralization as representing a new chapter of freedom and individual empowerment.

Regulatory Guidance Aims to Apply Banking Regulations to Stablecoin Issuers

Non-fungible tokens have attracted widespread attention this year due to high-profile auctions involving NFTs representing digital artwork. Just as NFTs have invigorated the digital art landscape, they can rejuvenate patent monetization – making it easier, more secure, and accessible.

Consumer Financial Services Partner Jenny Lee recently spoke with American Banker reporter Kate Berry about key enforcement issues surrounding the newly led Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.

The fashion industry is known for taking creative risks, so it is understandable that the industry is taking its next steps—literally—out of this world. Big name labels and innovative fashion start-ups are setting their sights on the so-called “Metaverse,” a persistent, digital universe that transce

The adoption of blockchain can be seen across many industries, but perhaps nowhere is it happening faster than in the sports sector.

Non-fungible tokens or NFTs are digital assets that run on blockchain. The value of NFTs largely stems from the idea of scarcity.

Blockchain, or distributed ledger technology, is the underlying technology on which cryptocurrencies are built

Blockchain is one of the top technologies that can be integrated into various fields for improved security, traceability, and distribution. The agriculture industry is one area where blockchain innovation has quickly grown in the last few years.

Arent Fox has procured for Bloomio, a fintech pioneer and provider of a blockchain-based investment platform, a U.S. patent covering a new technology for crypto-asset recovery.

On July 8, the Commodities Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) released its 2020-2024 CFTC Strategic Plan that describes five strategic goals and objectives that will guide the CFTC over the next four years.

On April 18, 2019, FinCEN announced its first penalty against an individual for operating as a peer-to-peer exchanger for converting virtual currency.

On April 3, 2019 the staff of the Securities and Exchange Commission issued its first no-action letter stating that it would not recommend enforcement action if an issuer publicly issued tokens without registration under the Securities Act or the Securities Exchange Act.  

Arent Fox has successfully procured another patent for Acronis, a leading provider of cloud backup and data management services, covering a new technology for watermarking digital content using a blockchain network.

Arent Fox has successfully procured a patent for Acronis, a leading provider of cloud backup and cyber protection, for a new technology of verifying data integrity using a blockchain network.