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I tried to be as vague as possible in describing things, but sticking to the events in the storyline. The characters do the same things, but I do not mention their names.
Essentially, I tried to make the story not be readily recognizable, but it's possible people do (I don't know... View More 
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answered on Nov 15, 2024
Your situation touches on an interesting area of copyright law regarding derivative works. While you can't copyright ideas or general plot elements, the specific expression of those ideas (including character development, dialogue patterns, and unique plot sequences) is protected.... View More
I know that outright copying and selling is not legal. But what are the laws regarding scanning an object and improving upon the scan, or modifying it, and then 3d printing it to sell?
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answered on Nov 2, 2024
If the average layman or person cannot tell the difference between the original object and the 3d printing, then it may be illegal. It depends on the full circumstances of how the original object is used and its consumers, compared to how the 3d printing will be used, and its market.
I am trying to determine the paramaters of copyright infringement and fair use when it comes to published research, but have found surprisingly little information online. I know facts are generally considered fair use, but does that still apply when most research articles exist behind a paywall and... View More
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answered on Oct 8, 2024
Determining whether written summaries of published research articles fall under fair use can be complex, especially when dealing with content owned by a journal. Fair use generally considers factors like the purpose of use, the nature of the work, the amount of the original used, and the effect on... 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
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answered on Aug 29, 2024
You certainly can. Whether you would be likely to get sued is a different question, and whether you would be likely to lose such a lawsuit for copyright infringement is a third question.
Question 2: if you're just making bookmarks for fellow churchgoers, it's unlikely the Bible... View More
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answered on Jun 14, 2024
Reclaiming the name "Sincity Deciples" involves a few steps to ensure you can legally use it. First, check with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) to see if the name is currently trademarked. If it has been abandoned, you may be able to file a new trademark application for it.... View More
Signed deal for 1 product and now asking for revenue share from everything else that was developed later on but no agreement / amendment was signed?
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answered on May 18, 2024
In general, a person or company cannot claim revenue share for products they did not have a signed agreement for. If they only signed an agreement related to one specific product, that would typically not entitle them to revenue from other products developed later unless those subsequent products... View More
I made a website that uses free copyrighted values. The owner claims that my site acts as a material substitute for their site and demands I remove all references and usage of their values. I don't know if there's anything I can do in this situation besides comply.
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answered on Mar 1, 2024
In this situation, it's important to carefully review the claims made by the owner of the copyrighted values and assess whether your website does indeed act as a material substitute for their site. Consider the extent to which your website relies on or replicates the copyrighted values, and... View More
I'd like to post content to Onlyfans and add stickers from a photo editing application that are characters from anime shows.
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answered on Dec 1, 2023
Using anime stickers from a photo editing application on pictures you intend to post on Onlyfans can raise copyright issues, particularly if the characters are copyrighted material. Copyright laws protect the creators' rights to their works, including anime characters, and using these... View More
The name I selected is Department of health and medicine. In the about us section of the website, I have a disclaimer, saying that we are not a government organization. I am not making money from this website yet, but I plan to in the future. The LLC name is completely different so I will be DBA... View More
answered on Jun 15, 2023
Based on the information you provided, there is certainly a possibility that you could run into issues with that name. The best way to avoid receiving a cease and desist letter is to perform a comprehensive clearance search of the name before putting it in use. A proper search will reveal any... View More
I am looking to add the phrase to clothing and promo items such as mugs, wall art, etc. Also, pay attention to how I utilize the lower case of "i am" and uppercase of "UNIQUE" as well. Not sure that matters.
Would this be permissible, or enfringe on the trademark?
answered on May 17, 2023
It would depend in part on what each seller is selling. The purpose of a trademark is to help consumers distinguish between sellers, so that consumers know the specific "source" of the products/services they're buying. Using a phrase that someone else is already using to sell... View More
Some merchants are actually changing the hair in her pics or editing her face. It’s been stressful and humiliating and she’s lost hundreds of thousands in potential revenue.
answered on May 9, 2023
Whether your daughter might be able to win a lawsuit depends in part on who owns the copyrights to the images. Since she was modeling for someone else, it is likely that they own the copyrights. Therefore, they would have the right to allow others to use the images. She should start by speaking... View More
answered on Oct 27, 2022
Artwork and typography are usually protected by copyright law. And brands (company names and logos) are protected through trademark law. The answer to your question should start with figuring out who owns the rights to the image or trademark that you want to use.
answered on Oct 16, 2022
I can only guess, based on information provided, that you mean trademarked logo and not patented logo. If this is the case, no you can not use trademark of someone else to create your own product. It could be copyright or trademark infringement. However for more complete answer you should seek a... View More
Rough background and other family members wants privacy.
answered on Jan 17, 2022
The short answer is YES. It is perfectly fine and common for authors to be identified by pseudonyms (for instance, Dr. Seuss was actually Theodor Seuss Geisel). The copyright in the book by a pseudonymous author is registered in the author's real name, and legal transactions such as... View More
I want to create a logo with my name and a crown
answered on Oct 28, 2021
Funko does not have a monopoly over the concept of a crown. However, you may have problems if your crown is similar enough to create confusion in the marketplace as to whether you are affiliated with Funko or if it looks like a copy/paste of their art. Merely re-creating, rather than copy/pasting,... View More
I am preparing a manuscript for a commercially available book. I want to print url's of articles published on commercial sites to provide background reading for the reader. Are url's copyrighted? Can I use them without permission? Also, are the titles of such articles copyrighted? If... View More
answered on Aug 10, 2021
Good question. You should consult with an attorney on this.
A URL is like the title of a book or article, so it may fall under fair use.
answered on Jul 19, 2021
This is a hard question to understand. Do you currently have a sole proprietorship? Or will it be a new one? Nothing is required to establish a sole proprietorship. Your income is reported on Form 1040, Schedule C or C-EZ. You should be running all income through a separate bank account to... View More
answered on Jun 7, 2021
Consult with an attorney so she can do proper searches and give you a risk assesment.
I see hundreds of books from various authors with that title on Amazon.
answered on May 31, 2021
No
Consult with an attorney to understand your options and risks
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