Category: Intellectual Property

Beware of Copyright Trolls

Posted on under Articles, Copyright and Trademark, Intellectual Property.

Have you ever copied a photograph from a website thinking that the photograph was free to use?  You may have thought this because the photograph did not contain a watermark or copyright notice. Maybe the photograph claimed that it was “royalty free,” and you assumed that meant it was free to use for no charge.  Or, perhaps you were aware that using the photograph was not authorized, but you figured it would never be discovered. These are common mistakes that can prove to be costly.

Continue reading “Beware of Copyright Trolls” →

New Rule Requires U.S. Counsel to Represent Foreign Trademark Applicants and Registrants

Posted on under Articles, Copyright and Trademark, Intellectual Property.

The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) issued a new rule that requires foreign trademark applicants and registrants to be represented by an attorney licensed in the United States. Under the U.S. counsel rule, codified at 37 C.F.R. § 2.11(a), any trademark applicant or registrant domiciled outside of the United States must retain U.S. counsel to file any document before the USPTO.  This rule change is an effort to combat the unauthorized practice of law as well as the use of fake or suspicious specimens. The rule change was prompted by the USPTO’s examination of foreign trademark applications. In some cases, foreign applicants filed hundreds of trademark applications in their own names.  After reviewing those applications, the USPTO discovered that those applications were, in fact, filed by foreign practitioners.

Continue reading “New Rule Requires U.S. Counsel to Represent Foreign Trademark Applicants and Registrants” →

Avoid Copyright Infringement

Posted on under Articles, Churches and Religious Organizations, Copyright and Trademark.

How to Properly Use Music and Images During Worship Service

Churches today use a variety of intellectual property during worship services, such as music, photographs, quotes, and video clips.  These materials can be important to a worship service by increasing engagement, illustrating a point, or adding extra meaning to the service.  However, most materials are protected by copyright laws.

Using intellectual property without the permission of the copyright owner or other legal authority is copyright infringement and can result in significant monetary damages.  Churches need to know the legal issues that apply to using intellectual property so they can take steps to get permission when needed and avoid copyright infringement.    Continue reading “Avoid Copyright Infringement” →

EU Data Protection Law to Impact Charitable Donations

Posted on Thursday, February 8th, 2018 under Computer & Internet, Intellectual Property.

Do you have customers in Europe? Are you a charity that receives donations from EU citizens? Do you send your newsletter to people in Europe? If any of these apply to you, you should be aware of changes to European privacy laws that became effective on May 18, 2018 through the  European Union General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).  The GDPR significantly broadens the geographic scope of European privacy laws to include individuals and businesses outside of the EU. Continue reading “EU Data Protection Law to Impact Charitable Donations” →

Developing Open Source Software Not an Exempt Purpose

Posted on Thursday, June 22nd, 2017 under Computer & Internet, Intellectual Property, Nonprofits.

You may be familiar with open source software. If you are, you know it is software people can modify and share because its design is publicly accessible. Would efforts to develop open source software qualify as an exempt purpose under tax law? It’s not commercial and it benefits the public, right?

Not according to the IRS. Continue reading “Developing Open Source Software Not an Exempt Purpose” →

Pilot Program Updates Trademark Registrations with New Technology

Posted on Friday, April 28th, 2017 under Copyright and Trademark, Intellectual Property.

What do phonograph records, cassette tapes, CDs, and downloadable mp3 files have in common?  They are all products whose trademarks are registered in class 9 (class 9 covers scientific and electronic goods).  They also embody sound recordings on media that are in varying stages of obsolescence.  Forty years ago, a record company may have sold music on phonograph records but today sells them as downloadable mp3 files.  The product, music, is the same – only the format has changed. Continue reading “Pilot Program Updates Trademark Registrations with New Technology” →

Copyright Office Announces Requirements for DMCA Protections

Posted on Friday, April 28th, 2017 under Copyright and Trademark, Intellectual Property.

The Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) provides valuable liability protections for service providers and website operators.  The DMCA protects service providers and website operators from liability for copyright infringement due to content posted by third parties.  To take advantage of the DMCA’s safe harbor protections, website operators must designate an agent to receive notices of claimed copyright infringement (DMCA Agent).  The name, address, phone number, and e-mail address of the DMCA Agent must be posted on the website and also submitted to the Copyright Office. Continue reading “Copyright Office Announces Requirements for DMCA Protections” →

Understanding Trademarks

Posted on under Articles, Copyright and Trademark, Newsletters.

Trademarks are valuable assets of businesses and non-profit organizations. A carefully-selected trademark can help a business distinguish itself in the marketplace and create a lasting impression with consumers. Through continual use, trademarks enable businesses and organizations to generate goodwill with the public. This goodwill can become the most valuable asset of the business or organization. Because trademarks are so important, businesses and non-profit organizations should carefully consider which trademarks to use and adequately protect those marks. Continue reading “Understanding Trademarks” →

Estate Loses Exclusive Rights to Sherlock Holmes Series

Posted on Thursday, July 24th, 2014 under Copyright and Trademark, Intellectual Property.

Young and old have been captivated by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s books and stories detailing the adventures of Sherlock Holmes and his companion, Dr. Watson.[1]After Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s death in 1930, dozens of authors added to his work, elaborating on previously established stories, creating entirely new ones, or refashioning them into television shows and movies—but not without entering into a licensing agreement with Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s estate (“Conan Doyle”).[2] Conan Doyle held exclusive rights to Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s works (collectively called “the Canon”), and any party hoping to use his characters or story elements had to enter into an agreement or risk litigation. Sherlock Holmes enthusiasts eagerly awaited the day when they could use Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s characters and story elements without involving Conan Doyle. However, Conan Doyle continued to guard its copyrights even after many believed they had entered the public domain.[3] One author believed Conan Doyle was overstepping its bounds and sought a declaratory judgment to resolve the uncertainty. Continue reading “Estate Loses Exclusive Rights to Sherlock Holmes Series” →

New Top-Level Domains: Opportunity or Headache?

Posted on under Articles, Computer & Internet, Copyright and Trademark, Newsletters.

A recent explosion of new domain names could profoundly change the digital marketing strategies of businesses and organizations. The regulatory body that coordinates domain names is known as the Internet Corporation for Assigned Numbers and Names (ICANN). ICANN has approved hundreds of new generic top-level domain names (gTLDs) that are starting to become available to the public. Some of the more well-known gTLDs that have been used for many years include .com, .org, or .edu. Examples of new gTLDs that have been approved for release are .blog, .business, .charity, .church, .shop, and .software. Continue reading “New Top-Level Domains: Opportunity or Headache?” →