Copyrights, Patents, and Trademarks Defined

Copyrights, patents, and trademarks can be among the most valuable assets of a business.

Independent Director Audit Committee Requirements for New York Stock Exchange Companies

Independent directors must make up the majority of the board of directors of a company listed on the New York Stock Exchange. In addition, listed companies must have several committees made up entirely of independent directors, including the Audit Committee.

Initial Public Offerings & the Securities Act of 1933> Registration of Securities> Registration Statement Filing

Pros and Cons for a Company Going Public

The Quiet Period Pending Securities Registration Statement Effectiveness

There is a "quiet period" between the time that a company files a registration statement with the Securities and Exchange Commission for a new public securities offering and the time that the Commission declares the registration statement effective. During the quiet period, referred to as the "waiting period" also, the company and related parties are prohibited by federal securities laws from releasing information to the public that could be construed as promoting sale of the securities covered by the as yet unapproved registration statement.

Reliance on Committee Reports

Corporation codes in all states allow the corporate board of directors to appoint committees comprised of directors and to delegate board powers to the committees. Appointment powers are usually addressed in the corporation's articles of incorporation or bylaws, which specify the formalities for appointing a committee. Each state's corporation code must be consulted to determine if certain powers are nondelegable.