Get free answers to your Copyright legal questions from lawyers in your area.
answered on May 14, 2021
Suffice, depends on your goal
In essence you own the copyright, registration gives you a title to it
Consult with an attorney
I would like to get my own name as a social media account on the 2 remaining platforms where someone has created ghost accounts to hold the name and I am unable to clame it for myself.
answered on May 7, 2021
Unfortunately it is a first come first served basis so you may be out of luck.
Consult with an attorney to see if you have some options.
Maybe if you have a trademark registration you could use it to get some of the names back, but may not be an easy or cheap proposition.
I sell my own original works on TeachersPayTeachers.com that teachers from all states buy (but I currently live in California).
My questions are the following:
1. Books on the current middle school grade level reading lists are published within the last 5 years or so. Am I allowed... View More 
answered on May 5, 2021
What you are describing is clearly copyright infringement, and your proposed fair use defense would not fly. The author has a pretty far-reaching right to control and profit from clearly derivative works like a recording of their writings. The law governing this is the same throughout the US.... View More
Hartwall Long Drink designs
answered on May 2, 2021
I do not know, but it is almost guaranteed that any company that supplies its products around the globe would have some sort of a protection on its products. Please do not copy it for your line of beverages without checking with your intellectual property attorney.
In the current company(Los Angeles, CA) I work at, my manager is cheating the company by manufacturing in china.
We have built couple of products and got the patent for them. We built a prototype using the same technology but in different package. I was part of the design team for the... View More
answered on Mar 22, 2021
Many pieces of the puzzle are missing. Is the manager working with a different company? Who is selling it? Does your company know? There are many more facts needed to determine if something is wrong here. If you are serious about the inquiry it would probably be necessary to get a consultation from... View More
Defendant did not respond to my Complaint within 21 days. As my Default Application was still pending, the court accepted Defendant’s Answer 60 days after the time to respond. Defendant did request an extension, however, it was filed after the 21-day time to respond. Is this appropriate procedure?
answered on Mar 19, 2021
In State Court There is a difference between a Default and a Default Judgment. First you file a request for entry of default. If there is no answer on file, the Clerk enters a default. After you have this entered you submit a packet for entry of default judgment with your evidence proving up the... View More
I am writing a biographical screenplay about my mother. Her first husband, not my dad, cheated on her. That's why she divorced him. She met, and married, my father later.
answered on Mar 19, 2021
Not a Copyright issue, it is a Libel issue. If you name him and get the facts wrong, you may be looking at libel litigation.
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"I am writing a biographical screenplay about my mother, Rosemary Rogers. She was a famous romance novelist.": I mention her first husband, by name. He cheated on her. That is why she divorced him. Can I use his name?
answered on Mar 18, 2021
Not a Copyright issue, it is a Libel issue. If you name him and get the facts wrong, you may be looking at libel litigation.
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Is it improper, a violation of statutes/ethics for a Defendant to submit a 80-page confidential memorandum to the Court on my case prior to filing of my Complaint? I learned of it by a public records request. The memorandum makes many false claims and certainly has the appearance of prejudicing... View More
answered on Mar 18, 2021
AZ or CA? You posted in CA. Here I cannot even conceive of a way they could file something in a Civil action before you file a complaint. How would they have the case number? There is a procedure for them to file a sealed document that must be followed first.
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answered on Mar 16, 2021
All your answers are in the excellent tutorial material at uspto.gov and copyright.gov.
I think it would be fun to mirror-write the saccharine babysitters club series so that it's about a witch/vampire club instead. This would mean different characters, genders, and a different genre, but the writing structure would be mirrored. For example, the original says:
Need a... View More
answered on Mar 19, 2021
You need to confer with a local copyright attorney.
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I am wondering if I can use this message. “This work is based upon real events. Certain events, dialogue and characters were created for the purposes of fictionalization.”
answered on Mar 11, 2021
you should be able
don't see any issue
always consult with an attorney
answered on Mar 11, 2021
You have already done so. You have not spelled the name out, but "author's husband" should be a clear identification.
I need to mention this person in the screenplay I am writing. Can I change the name and use it?
answered on Mar 19, 2021
You have asked this same question on at least 7 postings on Justia. First, it is not Copyright. A private person's name is not copyrighted. So when you post over and over and over again in Copyright, the notices of your posting never go to attorneys handling claims of defamation, which is... View More
I have already asked this question. How do I use a person's name in a screenplay without asking for permission?
answered on Mar 10, 2021
You can do this by using the person's name and hoping that (1) the person never finds out or (2) finding out later that you did not need permission in the first place.
(This is simply a straightforward approach to the issue. It is not a flip answer.)
In my screenplay I am writing about her first husband. Not my father. Her fist husband cheated on her. That is why she divorced him. Her first husband was a man of fame in Sri Lanka. He was once known as 'the fastest man in Asia'. Can I use his name in my script? I need it.
answered on Mar 9, 2021
The answer depends on many factors. The first, of course, is what you write about him. It is sounds like you would do more than simply mention his name. There are other points of interest. The legal issues include defamation, right of publicity, invasion of privacy to name a few. Whether your use... View More
Hi,
I thought this would be a quick and easy question for someone here who wanted to help. Unfortunately, I'm not really in a financial situation to hire an attorney/lawyer.
I'd like to publish a book with the title "___ for Potato Heads" similar to one of those... View More
answered on Mar 9, 2021
No, sorry, you'll likely cannot use "____ for Potato Heads" as a series title.
Why don't you do what the Beatles did when they wanted to record "Dr. Pepper Lonely Hearts Club Band"? Just work rework it from "___ for Potato Heads" to "__ for... View More
I am writing a biographical screenplay about my mother. She was a famous romance novelist. She passed away in November, 2019. She divorced her first husband for cheating on her. Afterward she met my father. I have two half sisters and a full brother. My sister doesn’t want me to use her... View More
answered on Mar 3, 2021
Writing about a living person can raise issues of defamation, right of publicity, and false light, among others. There are many ways to do it wrong and a few ways to do it right. Some details may just have to be left out. A more complete statement of facts and a careful analysis by an attorney... View More
For example, my brand is: Pinky Minnie Couture or Destiny Minnie Arts ...
answered on Feb 22, 2021
New material is subject to copyright protection. A new book including the old book plus a new introduction may be published and the new introduction may be subject to copyright protection. The old book will not be subject to copyright protection. Depending on what you want to copy, what you want to... View More
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