What are the primary reasons for denying claims of trademark rights? Whether pursuant to common law, state or federal registration, there are several common reasons for denying trademark protection of a prospective mark. Some of the more common reasons are as follows: the mark is the same or similar to a mark currently used on similar related goods;...

What is Pushing On A String? Pushing on a string is a metaphorical expression that states that influence is more effective when it works in one direction. In macroeconomics, pushing on a string is a strategy that reduces the effect of the central banks and the monetary policy in an economy. According to this theory, monetary policy cannot compel bus...

REGULATORY AGENCIES Enforce Consumer Law Individuals affected by a merchant's conduct may bring a civil action against the merchant. Further, numerous regulations exist that allow injured consumers to report violations of consumer protection laws. In an effort to stop or punish violations of the law, the government may then pursue administrative, ci...

What is a Transformative Business Model? The Transformative Business Model was proposed by Ladas Kavadias and Christoph Loch (2016). It outlined 6 characteristics or elements of a transformative business model.  Providing a more personalized product or service offering that is better tailored to customers’ individual and immediate needs by utilizing...

What is Deflation? Deflation is an economic condition where the price of goods, services, and labor declines because of the increase in the purchasing power of the nation's currency. The increase in the purchasing power of the currency is generally related to limitations in the money supply due to economic stagnation or limited available credit. For...

What is the European Capital Markets Institute? The European Capital Markets Institute (ECMI) is an autonomous research institute that performs research and studies on European capital markets and related issues. The ECMI was established in 1993. It is overseen by the Center for European Policy Studies (CEPS). What does the European Capital Markets ...

How can Fiscal Policy Can Affect Technology Development? Research and development (R&D) efforts are the lifeblood of new technology.  Fiscal policy can encourage R&D using either direct spending or tax policy. Government could spend more on the R&D that it carries out in government laboratories, as well as expanding federal R&D grant...

What is the Lump of Labor Fallacy? The lump of labor fallacy is a belief that the amount of labor available in an overall economy can be distributed to create fewer or more job openings. It holds that there is a fixed amount of labor required in the entire economy. However, economist David Frederick Schloss in 1891, disputed the assumption holding t...

What is the Circular Flow Model? A good model to start with in economics is the circular flow diagram. It pictures the economy as consisting of two groups—households and firms—that interact in two markets: the goods and services market in which firms sell and households buy and the labor market in which households sell labor to business firms or oth...

What is Temporary and Permanent Fiscal Policy? A temporary tax cut or spending increase will explicitly last only for a year or two, and then revert to its original level. A permanent tax cut or spending increase is expected to stay in place for the foreseeable future. The effect of temporary and permanent fiscal policies on aggregate demand can be ...