Portland Real Estate Attorneys & Lawyers

A Guide for Landlords on How to Rent Property in California

The rental market in California is flourishing and many people are seeking to earn money by renting out their property.  Being a landlord requires taking on many responsibilities and creating a rental property is not as simple as finding a tenant and signing a rental contract.

The process involves a bit of research, preparation, and consideration of several California and federal laws.  This guide will help prospective landlords prepare their property for rent.

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What is a DMCA Notice?

A DMCA notice informs a company, web host, search engine, or internet service provider that they are hosting or linking to material that infringes on a copyright. The party that receives the notice should take down the material in question as soon as possible. If the site owner doesn't comply, the ISP can forcibly remove the content.

You can send out a DMCA notice, not just for infringing material, but also for any indices, references, or pointers that lead to infringing material.

DMCA stands for Digital Millennium Copyright Act. A DMCA notice is also known as a DMCA takedown notice or a DMCA request. The DMCA covers any copyrighted material that could be infringed on the internet, including:

• Written words, such as articles, books,

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What Is Trade Dress Registration?

A trade dress registration protects the designm symbol, or trademark associated with a brand. The Trademark Act 15 U.S.C. §1052 regulates trade dress, which originally referred to the product's dressing and later expanded to include product design and packaging. A trade dress application must include designs and drawings, the associated services or goods, and a description.

A product qualifies for this registration based on the distinctiveness and functionality of its trade dress. Before accepting a trade dress application, the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) must see a clear "acquired

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What is Legal Due Diligence

Legal due diligence is an investigation into a business by re viewing documents and interviewing employees. A legal due diligence investigation is completed when a business or investor is interested in buying a business or investing in that business.

A legal due diligence investigation is seeking information about the business to make sure that the investment or purchase is beneficial. The investigation seeks to reveal all important facts and potential liabilities. Once the facts are collected and analyzed, an informed decision can be made.

There are subcategories of legal due diligence. These subcategories seek more specific pieces of information.

• Intellectual property due diligence

• Business due diligence

• Accounting due diligence

Due diligence is most often performed in preparation for a merger, a

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What Are Cumulative Dividends?

If a dividend is sharing company profits to shareholders, then a cumulative dividend is a distribution made to the holders of special "preferred" shares regularly. It is unrelated to company profits.

Regular or "noncumulative" dividends are voluntary. This means the Board of Directors has the option of awarding them. This usually depends on how the company has performed each year.

However, paying cumulative dividends is mandatory. If the company can't pay out a cumulative dividend in any given fiscal year, the amount for that year is carried forward. It must always be paid out before any payments to common shareholders.

Not all "preferred shares" have the right to receive cumulative dividends. Some cumulative preferred shares carry limitations. For example, the company may only have to pay cumulative d

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