Q: What are the legal steps to start a brand for and copyright the creative works of an artist?
I am an artist. I create paintings, I do customizations, and also design merchandise and apparel related to my art. I want all of these entities of my work to operate under one brand, named after myself, as subsidiaries.
A: It sounds like you are currently operating as a sole proprietor, where there is no legal separation between you and your business. Your first step might be to form a separate legal entity, such as a single member LLC, with its own tax ID number and bank account for all of your business activities as an artist. Then copyright everything you can. You probably will not be able to get trademark protection for your own name though.
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