There’s tension in this relationship. Marketing and the legal department know they need each other, but that doesn’t mean they always understand each other.

Marketers are out-of-the-box thinkers whose ideas engage customers and drive company revenue. Lawyers help the business stay in business by avoiding unnecessary risk, which sometimes requires them to say “no” to the marketing team’s ideas. It’s no wonder the departments are often frenemies, supporting the same organizational goals, but sometimes pushing back on each other.

In the interests of peace, love and understanding, McGuireWoods’ IP and privacy teams present “Frenemies,” a series of short videos covering legal considerations in advertising. We hope these episodes help marketing and legal departments understand each other, work together, issue-spot, and maybe go from being frenemies to friends. Registration is not required and after release, each season will be available for binge watching from your office or your couch.

Watch the episodes in season one, “Cross Into the Friend Zone: Trademark 101,” now.

• “The One Where Marketing Chose a Trademark Legal Actually Approved” (featuring Janet Peyton)
• “The One Where We Find Out Trademarks Are Not Registered in a Day: The Trademark Registration Process” (featuring Janet Peyton)
• “The One Where We Take Simple Steps Upfront to Protect Our New Brand” (featuring Amanda DeFord and Lucy Wheatley)

Stay tuned for upcoming seasons:

• Season Two: “Companies Don’t Share IP – the Use and Protection of Content”
• Season Three: “Pivot! Pivot! Pivot! What Marketers Need to Know About the California Consumer Privacy Act”
• Season Four: “Oh! My! Acroynmmmmmmmm! Privacy Regulations (Beyond California)”
• Season Five: “This Is ‘Brand’ New Information – 21st-Century Advertising Issues”

Each episode stands alone, but together the series provides an overview of common IP and privacy issues that arise in marketing and advertising.