Dear Doc: My new company paid $500 to a designer in Bulgaria for a company logo. The invoice we received says that we have “the right to use the logo in any way, forever.” We good? Signed,A Bit Worried Dear Bit: A recent case filed in both federal and state courts in Georgia should have […]
Ask Dr. Copyright
Ask Dr. Copyright is a monthly column that tackles common misconceptions in the areas of intellectual property law especially, copyright.
Ask Dr. Copyright © About Rule of Law
December 15, 2022
Ask Dr. Copyright
Dear Doc: We all hear about the “Rule of Law”, but lawyers seldom discuss the rules of law, you know, the rules about how the system functions. Can you enlighten me? Signed, Nothing Better To Do Dear NBTD: While the “Rule of Law” means that everyone should be equal in the eyes of the law, […]
Ask Dr. Copyright © about Artificial Intelligence
November 17, 2022
Ask Dr. Copyright
Dear Doc: I have read your columns about how patent law is now mostly unable to protect inventions that incorporate artificial intelligence and machine learning computer applications. So…what’s an aspiring inventor in those fields to do? How may such systems be protected? Is all hope lost? Signed, HAL Dear HAL: No. All is not lost. We […]
*Originally posted on April 30, 2015 Dear Doc: A lawyer friend told me that I should copyright the name of my band, The Miseracordions, so that when I make it big (this polka thing is REALLY gonna take off soon!) I can keep other people from using the name. Apart from our music, that just […]
Ask Dr. Copyright © About Floor Plans
July 21, 2022
Ask Dr. Copyright
Dear Doc: My wife and I are two of the millions of Internet users who browse real estate websites like Zillow.com, Redfin.com, and Trulia.com. We see a lot of pretty pictures and virtual video tours, but not floor plans, which makes our search for our dream home very frustrating. Why aren’t there any floor plans on these websites? […]
Dear Doc: I’ve heard the expression, “Fools rush in where Angels fear to tread.” Attributed to Alexander Pope, in An Essay on Criticism, dated 1709. What does this have to do with copyright law? Signed,All’s Fair Dear AF: In the coming Supreme Court term, the Court has agreed to hear a case which may, at […]
Dear Doc: I have heard that in times of war, intellectual property may be seized to support the war effort. Is that going to happen to Russia? Signed,Vodka (and Ukraine) Lover Dear Lover: Yes, war can be a messy affair, and that extends all the way to intellectual property rights. During World War I (the […]
Ask Dr. Copyright © about Trademarks (huh?)
March 17, 2022
Ask Dr. Copyright
Numbers are routinely used to name products but that there are so many of them that it takes a lot of marketing to make a number distinctive.
Ask Dr. Copyright © About the Copyright Claims Board
December 16, 2021
Ask Dr. Copyright, Copyright
Dear Doc: Last month, you promised to follow up with some of the rules under which the new Copyright Claims Board (CCB) plans to hear “small claims” copyright cases. So? Signed,Still Sick of Being Ripped Off Dear SSoBRO: As the Doc said last month, the Copyright Claims Board (CCB) will be a three-judge panel within […]
Ask Dr. Copyright © About the Copyright Claims Board
November 18, 2021
Ask Dr. Copyright, Copyright
Dear Doc: I’ve heard that copyright cases are going to be tried in the Copyright Office, and not in federal district courts. What gives? Is this good for authors, songwriters, artists and other creative folks? Signed,Sick of Being Ripped Off Dear Victim: What you have heard is partially correct. Big changes are on the way […]