New-School Trademark Dilution: Famous among the Juvenile Consuming Public

The recently enacted Trademark Dilution Revision Act of 2006 recalibrated the degree of fame necessary to garner protection: the TDRA applies only to a mark widely recognized by the general consuming public of the United States as a designation of source of the goods or services of the mark’s owner. By privileging those major players who succeed in turning their brands into household names, the TDRA strengthens incentives for mark-owners to ensure their logos and brand names are well-recognized not only among adult consumers, but also among children. This Article examines a set of marketing behaviors aimed at children that the TDRA\u27s revised fame standard both reflects and rewards. Deeming fewer marks famous may serve the immediate purpose of creating a higher bar for plaintiffs to successfully bring dilution claims, but that bar should be set at age twenty-one to avoid rewarding firms for making loyal consumers out of teenagers, tweens, kids and even infants

The BG News October 8, 1996

The BGSU campus student newspaper October 8, 1996. Volume 79 - Issue 30https://scholarworks.bgsu.edu/bg-news/7059/thumbnail.jp

A New Spirit of Solidarity Rises in the South

Conventional views and existing empirical work show that formalisation of any hitherto informal segment of the economy would increase the rate of economic growth. The informal sector may have growth implications through indirect channels such as the level of competition in the economy. This piece presents an argument as to how the informal sector may impact economic growth by altering the degree of competition in an economy. Positive Linkage A large number of producers in the informal sector selling almost identical products would imply a small market share for each existing supplier resulting in a reduction in mark-up of price over cost. Low prices will increase consumer surplus and can contribute to househol

Risk management models in two Norwegian institutions

The research field of this research programme was integrated risk management. The research methodology was inspired by action research. The candidate collaborated with two Norwegian institutions in their initiative to design, implement and use an integrated causal risk management model (ICRMM) to improve risk management decision making. The research question adopted for the analysis section of the research programme was: • How can an integrated causal risk management model be designed, implemented and used to predict the likely effect of proposed actions on the risk profile? The research was conducted in three research cycles. As part of the first research cycle, a qualitative ICRMM was designed and used by using causal maps to represent the risk profile. As part of the second research cycle, a semi-quantitative ICRMM was designed and used by running Monte Carlo simulations to represent the risk profile. The research results of these two research cycles indicated that both the qualitative and the semiquantitative ICRMM can be used by organisations for predicting the likely effect of proposed actions on the risk profile. The third research cycle looked at the early phases of an initiative to implement an integrated risk management framework, where the ICRMM was one of the core components in the framework. The candidate assisted in organising the project and looked at how the most important stakeholders influenced the design and implementation of the ICRMM. The findings in the third research cycle indicated that using a project management methodology is effective in organising, authorising and managing an integrated risk management initiative in an organisation. By using project management methodologies, it is ensured that the various stakeholders in the organisation cooperate on the design and implementation of the framework, including the ICRMM. The use of project management methodologies thereby secures stakeholder ownership, which again increases the likelihood of future use of the ICRMM after the project is closed

The Importance of Relationship development in the GCC region

The noun ‘Relationship’, is defined by Collins English Dictionary (2012) as 1. the state of being connected or related 2. association by blood or marriage; kinship 3. the mutual dealings, connections, or feelings that exist between two parties, countries, people, etc. a business relationship You can see from the above definition that there are several inferences that can be developed out of this single word. But is a relationship easily discernible? Are its dimensions opaque or transparent? Can it be easily contrasted simply by looking at it? Can it be evolved, grown, diminished, or separated? These are questions, if they are faced, they could make a simple word like ‘relationship’ look vague, abstract, and sometimes utterly confusing. In fact, discerning the intricate and delicate web of relationships is an art that requires not just looking at it from a single dimension but comprehending it through an experience in its entirety. Our client M/s Balfour Beatty Rail, UK (from now on as BBR) has chosen us as a three member team for our MBA company-based management project. Our aim is to analyse the importance of relationships in the Arab World, and analyse its critical dimensions. Currently, BBR’s culture, environment, organisational periphery, and business algorithms are different than what the Arab World requires as a pre-requisite for any business activity in the region. These pre-requisites are certain forms of relationships that are not easily understood in Western cultures. The region, as we have witnessed through our research, does accept Western ideas, concepts of development, and innovation but not at all at the expense of relationships (Hutchings and Weir, 2006). We felt very early in the project that these relationships, which are embedded in the socio-political and socio-cultural aspects of the region are seldom understood or even accepted by Western organisations and its people, normally resulting in bitter experiences of the region (Little, 2004). We also believe that BBR also has all the capabilities, competencies, legacy, and attributes that can help it be a winner in this region. But winning in the GCC market requires more than just competencies, abilities, or strengths (Kurian et al., 2012a). In our opinion the major ceteris paribus quotient of success within the region is about discerning and articulating the underlying relationships of the region (Hutchings and Weir, 2006), and so along with BBR’s competencies, resources, and presence the organisation needs to understand, accept, emulate, and develop viable relationships in the region. Our research identifies and analyses these elusive, opaque cultural aspects in the backdrop of evaluating the current and future rail infrastructure business development opportunities that have erupted in the region since 2006 and weaves together an argument for BBR’s immediate and long-term presence in the region along with the essential elements that should go with it