Legal Guides

How to Form a New York LLC

New York LLC? Here is how you can Create One. We've put together a NY LLC formation guide, complete with free forms, for the DIYer.

Creating a New York Limited Liability Company (LLC) can be a challenge. This post explains step by step how to form an LLC under New York law. It is meant to assist those who want to form a New York LLC without a lawyer, accountant or online document preparation company, and provides the basic legal forms to do so.

While getting the appropriate legal support from a lawyer is always recommended, having a lawyer, accountant or online company help you form a NY LLC is not always necessary. Online companies essentially charge a few hundred dollars to help you fill out a form with your own input, plus a few hundred more for filing fees. Lawyers charge somewhat more, but are able to give legal advice and craft your New York LLC documents to your specific needs. However, cash is often tight for an entrepreneur embarking on a new enterprise, and some choose to go with an online company to save on cost. We understand and want to provide you the basic tools to form a NY LLC as cheaply as possible — by doing it yourself!
Read More “How to Form a New York LLC”

Strengthening Copyright: Registration & Notice

Like Many Things in America, Copyright Protection can be Supersized. Learn how to upgrade U.S. copyright protection through copyright notices and registration.

The last post, “How do I get Copyright Protection?,” gave an overview of what is copyright, what can be copyrighted, and how you can obtain copyright protection in the United States and internationally. Most significantly, we discussed how you get copyright protection automatically for copyrightable stuff, and that copyright registration and copyright notices (e.g., using the © symbol) are not necessary to obtain copyright protection, but do confer benefits.

Today, as promised, we will discuss copyright notices and registration further. Specifically, this post will explain

  1. Why copyright notices and registrations are not necessary,
  2. What the benefits of using a copyright notice are,
  3. How to use a copyright notice,
  4. What the benefits copyright registration are, and
  5. How to perform copyright registration.
    Read More “Strengthening Copyright: Registration & Notice”

Why Form an LLC or Incorporate? – Understanding & Protecting the Limited Liability Shield

Your LLC or Corporation is a Shield that does not Break except in Limited Circumstances. Learn about the limited liability shield and how to protect it.

A corporation or Limited Liability Company (LLC) is a huge personal liability shield against the world. This is, perhaps, the main reason for a business owner to form a corporation (i.e. “incorporate”) or an LLC. Today’s post aims to describe what limited liability protection is about, why you may want it for your business, and some things to keep in mind to stay protected.

A brief history of the Corporation

The protection offered by a limited liability entity, such as a corporation or LLC, arises from the legal personality of the entity. The law recognizes these entities as “persons” separate from their owners. Just as one person generally cannot be held responsible for the actions of another, so too are owners of a corporation or LLC generally not responsible for what could be considered the entity’s “actions.” The concept of legal personality can be traced far back to ancient Rome.
Read More “Why Form an LLC or Incorporate? – Understanding & Protecting the Limited Liability Shield”