Dear Dr. ©: A friend of mine said that I can copyright the songs that I write by sending them to myself using registered mail. That sounds easy. So, what’s the scoop? Sincerely, Musically Uninformed Dear MU: Your friend has perpetuated one of the oldest “urban myths” (apart from that one about alligators in the […]
Copyright
In the world of intellectual property, the precise use of language is important, whether preparing a copyright, trademark, or patent application, drafting an assignment or license agreement, or in oral communication. In a short article on the subject, Daniel Kegan, wrote in the newsletter of the Illinois State Bar Association, “Many people, journalists, and judges […]
Dear Dr. ©: My church wants to host a movie night for the kids, where we show a Disney film, serve popcorn, and promote fellowship among the parents. One of the parents has a DVD copy of the movie, and we own a projector and screen. Everybody says not to worry about copyright. If we […]
Dear Dr. ©: I’d like to make a donation to a charity, such as my college. I have some copyrights. May I donate them and take a tax deduction? Sincerely, Copyright Cheapskate Dear Cheap: First, the answer is Yes, you may donate a copyright to your college. Since copyrights last a very long time (if […]
International Piracy Makes the Headlines
May 28, 2010
Copyright
In 2003, then Senator Joe Biden and three other Congressmen formed the Congressional International Anti-Piracy Caucus. In an invitation to Congress, the Caucus wrote that “Our bipartisan Caucus will work to support congressional efforts to deal with the problem of piracy and Administration efforts to obtain strong intellectual property protections in the context of international […]
Dear Dr. ©: In old movies, the newsboys (newsyoungpersons now?) are always standing in the street (don’t their parents know that they could be hit by a horsecart?) yelling, “Extree! Extree! Read All About It!” and waving some yellow rag in the air. I remember hearing that facts in news stories can’t be copyrighted, but that […]
Dear Dr. C: I want to publish and sell a line of postcards. I think that I am a pretty decent photographer, and I travel a lot, so most of the pictures will be photos that I have taken on my travels. Is all of this legal? Signed, Shutter Bug Dear Ms. Bug: As with […]
Dear Dr. C: I used Google’s image search and found a really great photo that I saved. It does not have a © notice on it. Now I want to use it on my web site. I may also have done the same thing a “few” times before. Is that OK? — Anonymous (for obvious […]
Dear Dr. Copyright: Is plagiarism the same as copyright infringement? — Sir I. Newton, F.R.S. Dear Sir Isaac: No, plagiarism and copyright infringement are different, and not always in equal and opposite ways at all times and all places. Now that I have you completely confused, let me explain… Plagiarism is an infraction that is […]
Ringtones Freed by District Court
October 23, 2009
Copyright
In our July newsletter, we posed the question of whether the American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers (ASCAP) was crazy (tongue in cheek, or course). You may recall that ASCAP was seeking public performance licensing fees for ringtones. ASCAP demanded royalties for every transmission and sounding of a ringtone because each was a public […]