When patent publishes it is open/available to the public in exchange for a right given to a patent holder to exclude others from making, selling, offering for sale, etc. Upon expiration of a patent term, the patent holder has no right to exclude others anymore, but the patent itself remains in a... View More

It really depends on the facts of the case. I would recommend consulting an intellectual property attorney to assess whether it is better to settle or proceed with the litigation.

It really depends under what circumstances you gave your idea to that company: did you sign an NDA (non-disclosure) agreement, or entered into any other contracts with the company, did you work for the company, and if yes, then in what capacity (e.g. independent contractor, employee, etc.), and so... View More

copyright law could be the basis for a plagiarism

I think you have a good chance of success by arguing that the trademark of the one who is opposing your trademark is in an entirely different field (you can argue that there will be no likelihood of confusion to a consumer who buys these two different products/services)

You may have some protection available under trademark law for your design as a trade dress, depending on some factors.

You may also protect your design under copyright law as a design of a useful article, depending on some factors.

And, finally, you may try to obtain a design patent... View More

I would recommend registering your work for better protection. You can do it on-line at USPTO.gov (for registering trademarks) and at copyright.gov (for copyrights). Just make sure to search for similar trademarks. I would recommend consulting an intellectual property attorney - some would charge a... View More

You can register your slogan as a trademark if you use it to identify your goods (t-shirts, etc) to distinguish your product from those manufactured and sold by others.

In regard to copyrighting your slogans, words and short phrases, such as names, titles, and slogans, familiar symbols, etc... View More

You do not have to register your work for this purpose.

You only have to register your work before instituting an action for infringement. Since a cease-and-desist letter only threatens a civil lawsuit if the recipient continues the undesired activity, technically it does not constitute an... View More

You can apply on-line, but I would recommend conducting a trademark search/risk assessment by looking for identical marks on USPTO or trademark.com sites, I would search for both federal and state registered marks, and also I would look for those marks that could potentially create a likelihood of... View More

I would recommend consulting with an employment attorney. At the very least, please explain your situation in more detail, because from your question it is not quite clear what the issue is.