The Law Office of Tom James
Quality legal services. No catch.
Cokato, Minnesota attorney Thomas James at the Tom James Law Office is committed to helping creatives and small businesses. As both a copyright and a trademark attorney with a business law background, Tom can help you establish a small business or nonprofit organization, apply for tax-exempt status, register copyrights and trademarks, and maintain them. In addition, attorney Thomas B. James can help you challenge or protect a copyright or trademark registration. He possesses extensive knowledge of e-commerce, copyright and trademark law, and has written law review articles and books, and taught courses on these and other legal topics
Cokato, Minnesota attorney Thomas B. James has been practicing law for over 30 years. He has successfully helped clients secure tax-exempt status for their nonprofit organizations and register important copyrights and trademarks. Although he is a small-town attorney Tom James can represent clients nationally in copyright and trademark registration matters and in appeals and amicus brief filings in the United States Supreme Court.
Small Business Expertise
Born and raised in a small agricultural town, Tom James has an affinity for small businesses and nonprofit organizations. In the early years of his career, he got a local trucking business established as a limited liability company. Since then, he has helped with the formation of other businesses and nonprofit organizations, in some cases securing 501(c)(3) and other kinds of tax-exempt status. In recent years, many more small businesses than before have “gone online,” either engaging exclusively in e-commerce or supplementing a brick-and-mortar business with an online presence. He has been able to guide them through the maze of e-commerce regulation with compassion and skill.
Office located in beautiful Cokato, Minnesota. (320) 237-2711.
Supreme Court Limits Grounds for Contributory Infringement
In Cox Communications v. Sony Music Entertainment, a landmark decision, the United States Supreme Court unanimously held that internet service providers cannot be held contributorily liable for copyright infringement based on “mere knowledge” that users of their services are infringing copyrights. The Court held that notwithstanding the DMCA, secondary liability requires proof of an ISP’s active intent to induce or facilitate infringement on the part of the users of its service. The ruling significantly alters risk profiles for ISPs, and potentially for hosting services and generative AI developers, as well.
Check out my extensive Copyright FAQs page.
Check out my extensive Trademark FAQs page.
Contact the Law Office of Tom James.
© 2020 – 2026 Tom James. All rights reserved. “Thomas B. James, Esq.,” “Thomas James” and Tom James are alternate forms of the name. By accessing this website and any page(s) thereof, you acknowledge that you have read and understand the Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy and agree to be bound by the terms set out therein. If you do not agree to the terms and conditions, do not access this website or any page thereof. The information on this website and in the FAQs is for general educational purposes only. It is not legal advice. While I am an attorney, I am not your attorney. Reading or interacting with this website or an answer to a FAQ does not create an attorney-client relationship. Moreover, the law changes frequently, and users should consult a qualified, licensed attorney in their specific jurisdiction before making decisions or taking action


