Get free answers to your Intellectual Property legal questions from lawyers in your area.
Your current state is Ohio
I have a copyright certificate for my origami book, but I’ve noticed a competitor selling a kit that includes a book featuring patterns and text that are very similar to mine. This competitor has been very successful on Amazon, particularly during peak sales seasons, which raises my concerns... View More 
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answered on Sep 18, 2024
To protect your rights, the first step is to compare the specific elements of your book that are copyrighted, such as the text, illustrations, and unique pattern descriptions, with the competitor’s kit. Copyright protects the expression of ideas, not the ideas themselves, so it's important... View More
Do I have any marital rights to the property according to West Virginia?
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answered on Sep 16, 2024
In West Virginia, the property your wife purchased during your marriage could be considered marital property, even if your name isn't on the deed. West Virginia follows the principle of "equitable distribution," which means that in the event of a divorce, marital property is divided... View More
I live in Florida. I was behind on my car payments but made it current the month that my finance company did a charge off on the car. I even spoke with them on the phone and nothing was mentioned to me about the charge off happening. I was only told that I should refinance to trade the car in. They... View More
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answered on Sep 13, 2024
Even though your vehicle was charged off, you may still be legally responsible for the remaining balance on the loan. A charge-off means the lender has decided the debt is unlikely to be collected and has written it off their books, but this doesn’t cancel your obligation to pay. The debt can be... View More
I would think the police interviews, body cams, etc are copyright the police and state. Thanks.
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answered on Sep 12, 2024
When you obtain police interviews, body cam footage, or other similar materials through a FOIA request, it's essential to understand that these materials are generally considered public records. However, they may still be subject to certain copyright protections, usually held by the government... View More
He was suppose to hold my things which were in the garage , while i looked for a storage unit and dealt with some business and things. I was assured nothing from the garage was being thrown out. When i went to pack up stuff my computers were gone , sent to the recycling center 7 weeks ago. All my... View More
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answered on Sep 10, 2024
You have grounds to take legal action against your uncle for the loss of your computers and the valuable work they contained. Since he was entrusted to hold your belongings and had agreed not to throw them away, his actions could be considered a breach of a verbal agreement and potentially even... View More
30 years ago, 2 years after Theodor Geisel passed away, I wrote a book in memory and tribute to his iconic work. The story revolves around a disease called, Rasablupets and a Nurse who treats people with this. In the end, the cure is revealed to be making time to relax and to read a Dr. Suess... View More
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answered on Sep 12, 2024
You might face potential infringement issues with your book title and content because they closely reference Dr. Seuss's name, style, and specific works. Using a title like "A Dose Of Seuss From Nurse Caboose" could be seen as suggesting an official connection to Dr. Seuss, which... View More
I'm making home decor type gifts customizable, a customer can request the item to play their favorite celebrity song or tune. I Want to know if I can legally do this and if I can have item play either full song, partial song, just chorus, or instrumental
answered on Sep 9, 2024
Your idea of creating customizable home décor that plays celebrity songs is a unique and creative venture. However, using copyrighted music in products raises several legal concerns, and it’s essential to ensure you're compliant with intellectual property laws.
Here are a few key... View More
For example, could a musician release an original song called "Star Wars is Awesome" that talks about characters within Star Wars using lightsabers, etc. The music is completely original, doesn't use samples, and it doesn't talk poorly about the franchise or characters.
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answered on Sep 9, 2024
Creating music that directly references a TV show, its title, and its characters can potentially lead to legal issues. The show's name, characters, and other iconic elements are often protected by copyright and trademark laws. Even if your music is entirely original, using these elements... View More
My mother co signed a car with me. I have been the primary driver of the car including primary payer of the car. Both our names are on the car title. But she has threatened to sell the car and has been withholding the car from me. I currently do not know where the car is, I have tried to be civil... View More
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answered on Sep 8, 2024
If both you and your mother are listed on the car title, you both have legal ownership of the vehicle. This means that neither you nor your mother can sell or withhold the car from the other without consent. Since you are the primary driver and payer, you have a strong argument for possession, but... View More
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answered on Sep 6, 2024
If a renewal is missed for a trademark there is a 6 month grace period given by the USPTO that allows you to register the renewal for an additional late fee. If this period is missed you will need to re-register the application with the USPTO. It is recommend to work with a trademark attorney to... View More
I want to start a business on a product that helps sleeping anxiety in the singapore market.
I saw there is a similar product design has patent rights registered. How to avoid escalation from this original designer ? Does it mean that I cannot design a similar product? I wanted the same... View More
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answered on Sep 7, 2024
When considering entering the market with a product that serves a similar function to one with existing patent rights, it’s crucial to understand the scope and claims of the patents involved. A patent protects specific inventions or designs, so if you want to avoid legal issues, your product must... View More
My wife cosplays a book character on TikTok and Instagram. In many of her videos she uses audio that another creator has edited together from the Graphic Audio Book. All less than a minute long. On TikTok the sound links automatically to the other creator, but on Instagram she tags the creator of... View More
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answered on Sep 5, 2024
If your wife received a direct request from Graphic Audio Book to remove videos containing their audio, she should take it seriously. The company may have the legal right to protect its copyrighted material, even if it is edited or used in short clips. Ignoring the request could lead to potential... View More
Song published initially 2010, licensed over a dozen times globally w/o my consent. Now song the song was released again by a major label w/o my consent and it's platinum. I stopped the original thief's attempt to get paid from a publishing deal using my song as he is in efforts with the... View More
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answered on Sep 4, 2024
Given the complexity of your situation, it seems you have strong grounds to take legal action against the foreign branch of the American company. The fact that they filed multiple copyrights in the U.S. could indeed provide a basis for U.S. jurisdiction. This point strengthens your position to... View More
answered on Sep 3, 2024
The application in 2020 to register BOGUS JOE BIDEN, BOGUS JOE was abandoned by a failure to respond to an initial refusal from the trademark office based on its use of the name of a living individual, and there is no other application or registration for BOGUS JOE. You could apply to register the... View More
I asked for initial photo and the employee took 41 found out the next day when I demanded they send them. Did not request or consent to photo being uploaded to site for filters or lots of pictures to be taken. The company states they deleted the photos but data still exists of course. And violating... View More
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answered on Sep 5, 2024
It's frustrating to feel that your privacy has been violated, especially when you didn’t consent to photos being taken or manipulated. The situation you described involves both privacy and potential data protection concerns, particularly if the company or employee used your images without... View More
This method of perforating dough layer is considered abandoned due to not replying on time. Do I get to apply to revive or need to put a new application
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answered on Sep 1, 2024
Was it an *unintentional* delay up until the moment that you obtained an attorney to prepare the papers to revive? If so, you can petition to revive.
"Unintentional" is hard to define - indeed, I am not able to find case law that defines it - but it might be considered to... View More
I recently watched a presentation of a marketing and sales coach who gave names of his clients as examples. I reached out to a client who was in a similar industry to me to both find out more about her offerings for my own life but also to learn more and gain insight from her sales process. The... View More
answered on Aug 30, 2024
Your inquiry to the client who had been identified by the coach was perfectly reasonable and defensible, so the threat of retaliation was bluster. The threat to cause you harm is "actionable", that is, you could sue for it to get an injunction and possible money damages. So, challenging... View More
I run a marketing company. I sell social media short video services. To make the short videos, I repurpose existing videos. I've gained access to these videos by asking people online if I can use their videos for this exact purpose. They will simply reply back with 'Yes' or... View More
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answered on Aug 31, 2024
While receiving a "Yes" or "Sure" in a direct message provides some level of permission, it may not be enough to protect you from potential legal issues. Verbal or written informal agreements, like those made in social media messages, might be considered valid, but they can be... View More
I'm a Sunday Bible school teacher for children at my church, and I sing songs with them during our class. Is that legal?
If I start playing the guitar with these songs, would it still be legal? Everything is done in our church kid's classroom
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answered on Aug 30, 2024
Yes, you can legally sing songs with the children in your Sunday school class under the church copyright exemption. The exemption generally covers performances of music as part of a religious service, and Sunday school can be considered part of the church's educational and religious... View More
answered on Aug 28, 2024
This is a trademark matter, not copyright. Neither ACE OF BASS nor ACE OF BASE is currently registered as a trademark for entertainment services (or anything else), and there would be no likelihood of confusion that your DJ services are the same as the band's. The essence of a trademark... View More
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