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Kanye West is afraid that 3D printing will kill the shoe industry. Why is Kanye afraid? Maybe because adidas, who makes his Yeezy Boost 350 (which you can get on the second-hand market for a cool $1,000), said it’s making a running show with 3D-printed materials. Now enterprising bootleggers might start printing their own Yeezys. Kanye might be right to worry – the laws against 3D printing are pretty lax. But there are a few things that are illegal to 3D print....

Given the state of the economy, it isn’t surprising that many employees may be working on their own side business or moonlighting when they’re not on the clock. Career Liberation Coach Andrea Shields Nunez tells The Huffington Post that in her own story of building her side business while working full time, she became increasingly disconnected and despondent. Employers can address the issue of employees who aren’t engaged with their small business, but there are some legal considerations to keep in mind....

Kids may not be excited about going to back to school and parents may not be too thrilled about the legal issues they might face with school starting. But if you’re proactive in addressing some potential educational and safety concerns, it could be smoother sailing into the school year for everyone. Liability Waivers – Whether your child is starting at a new school, playing on a new sports team, or participating in field trips, you could be looking at too many legal waivers to read....

Background checks are an important hiring tool, helping you net the best applicant and fend off any future lawsuits. They, however, come with a few legal constraints of their own, and are subject to privacy rules, disclosure requirements, and federal discrimination laws. To help you navigate the world of background checks, here are our top “do’s” and “don’ts.” Do get consent. Besides the fact some records, like credit checks and transcripts, require prior written consent, it’s always a good idea to have an applicant sign off on all facets of a background check to ease liability....

“Good fences make good neighbors,” according to a famous Robert Frost poem. But that’s only if the neighbors agree. As home improvement season kicks into high gear, fences can be a tricky subject – especially if one neighbor wants a fence and the other doesn’t. Part of the issue is that boundary fences are technically owned by both property owners, unless they agree otherwise. That means responsibility for maintenance falls on both people....

Child custody cases are among the most sensitive legal issues that courts must handle. While most frequently child custody matters involve a set of separated parents arguing over who should have physical or legal custody, sometimes individuals other than the parents are involved. However, unless there are extenuating circumstances rendering a child’s parent(s) unable to maintain custody, non-parents will rarely be awarded any level of custody over parents (grandparents may be an exception in some states)....

You can use retirement savings in a 401(k) plan for a down payment on a home. But you will pay a 10 percent penalty on the withdrawal, and taxes, according to Money Crashers. There are options, however. So let’s look at how you might avail yourself of the money you saved for retirement and make the most of it now. Roll Over to a Roth IRA To avoid a penalty on your 401(k) withdrawal, roll it over to a Roth IRA....

Religious discrimination in the workplace, especially around the holiday season, can be a contentious issue. While Christmas trees still light up city centers across the nation, many workplaces have discontinued the practice because the tree is a symbol for a religious holiday. Christmas parties are now called holiday parties for the same reason. Although celebrating a religious holiday may not seem to discriminate against anyone on first blush, it can easily become religious harassment or even a discriminatory event....

Many small businesses are grappling with the tough decision of whether to shut down or try to weather the economic storm. For those that must close their doors, there still remains the often laborious task of shutting down the business. What they must do depends on the type of legal entity utilized by the business, along with where they are. In the case of businesses that incorporated, shutting down involves dissolving the corporation....

A new study is adding to the growing body of evidence that the playing field for entrepreneurs is tilted depending on the color of their skin. A research paper released by the Small Business Administration finds that black and Hispanic entrepreneurs face greater difficulty than ever in securing business loans, Bloomberg Businessweek reports. Here are some of the study’s key findings: If the results are right, the bottom line is troubling: White entrepreneurs are seemingly more likely to get business loans than blacks or Hispanics....

Just this past June, the U.S. Supreme Court handed down a major decision in the case of Ricci v. DeStefano, holding that white firefighters in New Haven, Connecticut, had been discriminated against on the basis of their race when the test results that favored them over African-American firefighters were discarded by the city. At the time, the New York Times article reporting the results of the decision also included some predictions along the lines of, “all this could [just] mean more litigation....

Happy Earth Day! Business owners who “go green” are not only helping the environment, but they can also reap financial rewards. From tax incentives to energy saving methods to help businesses save money, business owners should consider helping out Mother Nature. So here are five environmental tips for businesses. As the saying goes: Make Earth Day every day. Try to incorporate these environmental tips in your business’ operation for the long run....

Two Guantanamo Bay detainees are citing the recent Hobby Lobby case in an unusual way – to press for their right to communal prayer during Ramadan. Last week’s decision by the U.S. Supreme Court expounded on closely held corporations like Hobby Lobby and their rights to religious freedoms as “persons.” Mother Jones reports that two Gitmo detainees, Ahmed Rabbani and Emad Hassan, are hoping to use this expansion of religious rights to prevent military officials from prohibiting communal prayer during the holy month of Ramadan, which is currently underway....

Small business owners are protective of their brand. And there is the natural tendency to lash out at anything – fake online reviews, defamatory comments, or intellectual property theft – that threatens the integrity of that brand. Heck, even Donald Trump (or more accurately, especially Donald Trump) goes after those he thinks might harm his image. But sometimes those efforts can backfire, as The Donald himself demonstrated last week, via an ill-advised and subsequently eviscerated cease and desist letter....

Embattled New York EMT Jason Green was shot and killed on July 21 after a fight outside a New York nightclub. The paramedic was known for the refusal of he and his partner to help a pregnant woman who collapsed in a restaurant they were in during a break. The woman later died and the two NY EMTs’ were suspended without pay for their actions, but later reinstated. Charges have not yet been filed....

Many of those looking to adopt are also looking beyond our borders for adoptive children. And while an international adoption can be as loving, fulfilling, and rewarding as one from within the United States, there may be additional financial and legal hurdles involved. Here are five legal tips to aid in your international adoption: 1. Be Aware of the Additional Rules, and Follow Them Along with U.S. adoption and immigration laws, adoptive parents must comply with the other country’s immigration and adoption laws as well....

A valid non-compete agreement can be a powerful business tool. In today’s competitive market, many companies – Fortune 500s, sole proprietors, nonprofits and more – use non-compete agreements to protect trade secrets and prevent the luring away of loyal customers. However, enforcing non-compete agreements can be tricky, especially if they aren’t clearly drafted. To be legally valid, here’s what a non-compete agreement has to entail: A binding contract requires consideration. That means the person signing the non-compete agreement needs to get something in return....

A murder trial in San Francisco featured some courtroom drama in which eight men stood up and stared at the case’s star witness as she was asked whether she could identify the gunman. They did so at the request of the defendant’s attorney. Could the attorney be charged with witness intimidation? Media focus on witness intimidation and attitudes about “snitching” continues in the wake of the video taped killing of a Chicago teen....

Marriage is the joining of two worlds, and two worlds of belongings. But the personal property you bring into a marriage will normally stay yours as separate property, if the marriage comes to an end. Are there exceptions to this rule? And how can you ensure that your separate property stays separate and does not become marital property which can later be split? Here are a few things to keep in mind when trying to maintain your separate property:...

While motorized scooters have provided a quick and easy way to get around, they have also resulted in new ways for people to get injured. One person who was injured while using a Lime scooter is Ashanti Jordan of Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Ashanti wasn’t wearing a helmet when she collided with a car and was thrown about 100 feet. According to her family members, the accident has left her in a persistent vegetative state....