A popular method for protecting and managing intellectual property (“IP”) assets — high valued assets, in particular — is to transfer them to a special company created for the purpose of creating, protecting, licensing, and monitoring, IP. Typically, a corporation may create a subsidiary to hold its IP, which it may license back to the […]
Copyright
Last month, we heard tell o’ the pirates and the lawyers that chase ’em to the gates of perdition (or at least to the local federal courthouse,) with bloggers getting caught in the crossfire on the open sea, holed and sunk by legal briefs and lawyer bills. This month, it’s time to run for safe […]
Many individuals, companies and non-profits now have “blogs” where they invite comments and questions from readers. Most of those operating blogs and other websites seem unaware that they could be subject to suit for copyright infringement if materials posted by others are alleged to violate the exclusive rights of copyright holders. Many bloggers have fallen […]
Ask Dr. Copyright… How Long Does a Copyright Last?
October 29, 2010
Ask Dr. Copyright, Copyright
Dear Doc: How long does a copyright last? I seem to remember that it’s 28 years or so, but that it can be renewed, and that’s why they sing cheesy “faux” happy birthday songs in restaurants… because they don’t want to have to pay the two little old ladies who own the rights. Right??? Signed, […]
Say it’s a warm day and you’ve popped into the local tiki-themed cocktail lounge for a refreshing beverage. Is it possible that the tiny umbrella-embellished cocktail you’ve just been served is an infringement of someone else’s intellectual property rights? Take the case of Pusser’s Rum Ltd., a rum distiller located in the British Virgin Islands. […]
Ask Dr. Copyright…Why You Shouldn’t Buy Software on E-Bay
September 30, 2010
Ask Dr. Copyright, Copyright
Ask Dr. Copyright… Dear Dr. ©: I want to buy some new software for my PC, and have found that the prices on eBay are lower than in my local computer store. Provided that the eBay seller is reputable, why not save a lot of money, since the software is now many times more expensive […]
Crying Over Unspillable Milk (Or Ip Law As Entertainment)
September 30, 2010
Copyright
(For the purpose of enjoying a current dispute involving apps for mobile devices, remember that copyright protects an expression of an idea, not the idea itself.) Hottrix LLC sold an iPhone app (iMilk) for $2.99 that, when launched, displays a red button that when touched fills the screen from the bottom up (gurgling) with white […]
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 […]
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 […]