As Ms. Surero said, copyright does not protect "ideas." Rights of copyright do attach as soon as you "fix" the idea in some expression. In your case, it sounds like you have established some copyright rights in your draft of the book. Depending how far along you are in that... View More

It sounds like what you have is a trade secret which reveals the proportions of the ingredients. You may want to look into having a nondisclosure agreement in place so that you can license her the know-how to create the product. For example, supposedly the original recipe for Coca Cola has been... View More

You will need to enter into a trade secret agreement in which in exchange for letting them know the recipe, you would get some percentage. Best to work with an attorney in the drafting of the agreement.

Your situation sounds serious enough that I suggest you consult with counsel as to your options.

It may be that the software developer owns the copyright. Do you have a written agreement signed in advance that says the developer assigned any of her copyright rights to you? Best to consult an attorney to review what you have to be sure you actually own the copyright.

Yours is a complicated question as to what the originator of the "day" has registered and would want to protect. It would be best to work with a trademark attorney to understand what is the effect of the registrant's disclaimer.

Trademark rights are not merely created by someone registering the mark, whether with the USPTO or under a state's law. Under the common law, if you use a mark as a mark, you can acquire trademark rights in that mark. You would need to investigate further about whether the other person has... View More

When you buy the cup, you own the cup, but you do not own the copyright rights associated with the logo. Your additions could be considered as creating a derivative work without the copyright owner's permission. Also, you would be infringing upon the trademark, and, since Starbucks mark is... View More

I believe there is an official "Black Lives Matter" group. See: https://blacklivesmatter.com/contact/ There are also a number of applications pending with the USPTO that could be relevant. Check with the BLM group about the best way to proceed with your idea.

It may be copyright infringement and also trademark infringement. You acknowledge that you do want to make an obvious reference to the Bond enterprise. Best to consult with an attorney before you proceed with your plan.

Just because a mark may appear as "abandoned" in the USPTO's data base, that does not mean the mark is legally abandoned. The listing may just mean the applicant did not meet all of the USPTO's filing requirements. The person may still be using the mark and therefore has... View More

You need to speak with a copyright attorney so you have a better idea of what the other person is claiming and your choices of action.

Just because it is an older version of the soccer team's crest does not mean that the team no longer has trademark rights. And to the extent the crest is protected by copyright, that is likely still in effect. You should check the team's website to see what they say about licensing... View More

If you are a non-celebrity, you have a right of privacy. (If a celebrity, then you have a right of publicity.) It would be best to work with an attorney familiar with these kinds of actions. Keep in mind that if Amazon is merely the service provider, it would not be liable, unless it knows of the... View More

Interesting question. The situation you describe has copyright and trademark implications. Because the cars have insignias and other marks on them, in addition to their overall look, the trademark owners likely would not like the public to think they authorized you to take the photos. Similarly,... View More

The name of the business and a trademark can be the same word. But they serve different purposes. Regardless of whether a mark appears "abandoned" on the USPTO's website, that does not mean that the owner is not still using it and therefore retains rights in the mark. Best to work... View More

You will need to check with the California's Corporation Division. Even if you provide different services, if you want an identical name, that could pose a problem. Most states provide the ability to search for entity names and then to reserve the name. It may be enough if you change some... View More

It mostly boils down to what are permitted uses of the music based on the licenses issued by Apple Music/Spotify. It would be important to check the Terms of Use/licenses granted to the members. The licenses may not extend to letting members add the licensed music to another application. Best... View More

The person who took the photograph owns the copyright in it. Hopefully, if you want the copyright, your friend will agree in a writing "to assign" those rights to you. I leave it to you to figure what a fair price would be for the exchange. Another alternative is that she licenses to... View More

When you say "trademarked", do you mean the mark is registered with the USPTO? If so, then it does not matter how they choose to advertise their goods/services, they generally have the protection in all 50 states. Now, if what you plan to sell are totally different kinds of... View More