🎙️ Episode 22: Are You Ready for 2026? New California Laws Reshaping Everyday Life

What happens when the law suddenly touches almost every corner of your daily routine? In 2026, California is rolling out a wave of new laws that will change how we rent, work, run businesses, and even decide when to go to court. From refrigerators in rentals to revamped worker protections, the rules of everyday life are about to shift.

In this episode of Love and Law, Elizabeth Yang breaks down the most important changes coming in 2026 and explains what they mean in plain English—whether you’re a tenant, landlord, small business owner, employee, or someone thinking about filing a lawsuit in California.

📦 How new tenant protection laws will affect rental housing and appliance requirements

💼 What businesses and employers must change now in contracts and workplace policies

⏰ Why waiting until 2026 to prepare could cost you time, money, and legal risk

From budgeting for new obligations to understanding expanded rights, this episode is your practical roadmap to staying ahead of California’s 2026 legal overhaul—before it’s already here.

🎧 Listen now on all major podcast platforms.

📖 Read our blog for a deeper dive into California’s 2026 law changes.

🎙️ Episode 21: When Brands Become Everyday Words – The Taco Tuesday Trademark Battle

Can a phrase everyone uses still “belong” to one company? For decades, a small regional chain quietly owned the federal trademark for “Taco Tuesday” while millions of people—and even celebrities—used it like it was public property. By 2023, that ownership finally cracked under cultural pressure.

In this episode of Love and Law, Elizabeth Yang breaks down how a fun weekly ritual turned into a high-profile legal showdown involving Taco John’s, Taco Bell, and LeBron James—and what happens when a catchy slogan becomes so common it loses its legal edge.

🌮 How “Taco Tuesday” went from registered trademark to public phrase
⚖️ What “genericide” is—and how brands can become victims of their own success
📲 Why social media and viral culture are forcing trademark law to evolve

From made-up words like “Kodak” to everyday expressions like “Taco Tuesday,” this episode shows where the law draws the line between protectable brands and shared cultural language—and why that line matters for businesses, creators, and consumers alike.

🎧 Listen now on Spotify and all major podcast platforms.⁠📖 Read our blog on trademarks.

🎙️ Episode 20: Scarlett Johansson vs. Disney – When One Line in a Contract Costs Millions

What does “theatrical release” really mean in the age of streaming? For Scarlett Johansson, that single phrase became the center of a multimillion-dollar legal battle with Disney—and a cautionary tale for anyone signing a contract in today’s digital world.

In this episode of Love and Law, Elizabeth Yang unpacks how a clause in Johansson’s Black Widow agreement led to one of the most talked-about lawsuits in entertainment law, and why it changed how contracts are written for actors, influencers, and creators alike.

📽️ How streaming transformed what used to be “standard” contract terms

📄 Why vague definitions can destroy compensation models

📆 What California law says about interpreting contracts and deadlines to sue

From ambiguous language to overlooked email chains, this episode reveals the high-stakes details that can make or break a deal—whether you're a Hollywood A-lister or a digital creator on the rise.

🎧 Listen now on all major podcast platforms.

📖 Read our blog on contracts.