Hi there! It is great that you are thinking about IP protections from the very beginning.

From a trademark standpoint you have limited options that far in advance. You can file trademark registrations for things that are not in commerce yet (called an intent-to-use application), but the... View More

Without knowing what patent you're referring to, I can't answer this question fully. However, you can create various search terms around these elements if you utilize Google Patent Search, the USPTO database (PatFT), and the WIPO patent search database (patentscope) to get you in the... View More

The short answer is, you need an attorney that understands both family law and bankruptcy law or two lawyers that know each individual area of law to work together.

This is a common problem. The first thing you should do is register your copyrights. You typically have less leverage if you are not registered. Registration will definitely help you with infringement moving forward. I would need to know more about where the works are being copied from and other... View More

The Fourth Amendment applies to unlawful searches or seizures on the part of the government. Your situation sounds like a civil matter between two individuals. Keep in mind that whatever legal remedies might be applicable here that a Washington attorney could advise about, it could be... View More

You are facing a tough issue. You should definitely talk to an attorney. Also check with an insurance company agent covering copyright violations. They may have some clear cut criteria you can use as a guide.

In general there are several layers of rights. Pintrest and the poster could have... View More

It is important to remember that the purpose of a trademark is to protect consumers' right to know what they are buying and from whom not to provide a creative ownership interest for registrants. If there is consumer confusion, the USPTO will file an Office Action in response to the... View More

You should look up him, or his agent. And ask for the right to use it.

A provisional patent application is for a utility patent but one can file a design patent application as a continuation of a utility patent application so there is some small chance that they could end up with a design patent from an initial provisional patent application.

Generally a... View More

Copyright infringement requires that there be a substantially similar reproduction of another's original work of authorship. It is a fact-intensive inquiry and may be, but is not necessarily always, tied to the actual amount of copying from the original work of authorship. It may be a good... View More

Thanks for caring enough about doing the right thing to ask a question. The technical term for what you are asking is called freedom to operate (FTO) or sometimes "clearance". You are asking whether there are concrete legal rights that exist that would impinge on your freedom to operate... View More

Are you saying you're a web designer and you created a website for a pizza place, and someone copied and rebranded that website as Stacia's Gourmet Pizza?

If so, how much of your work was copied? What elements: images, text, html?

Or are you saying that Stacia's... View More

This is an urban myth. Original creative works receive copyright protection as soon as they are created in some retrievable form, that is, when they're written or printed. Mailing yourself the work does nothing to enhance that copyright protection. However, filing for statutory copyright... View More

The key question in trademark law is whether there is a likelihood that a consumer would be confused about the source of the jersey. There are a bunch of parts of a jersey that might indicate its provenance, including the design, the team name, any logos, team colors, etcetera that could all be... View More

You should speak with a qualified entertainment attorney regarding all the facts of your situation. Your treatment of these fictional characters may be considered "fair use", and the subject of first Amendment expression, which includes biographical, historical, satirical, and parodic... View More

A copyright springs into being automatically when a work is created in a tangible form, however, registering the copyright with the U.S. Copyright office gives the copyright holder more rights to pursue a remedy if the copyright is infringed by others. You may want to read the general FAQ... View More

A work can be "made for hire" under some circumstances, and in those circumstances, the person who hired the work can be the work's owner. If there was any understanding that the work (logo & site) was to be paid for in order to be used, then you can stop the person from using... View More

Did you register your trademark with the USPTO (http://www.uspto.gov/trademark)? Or did you register your trademark with the state? Each have their own procedures for address changes. If you have an online account with the USPTO, you can log in and update your account there, and they at times... View More

Only a "claimant" to a copyright can register it. You are not the "author" you so you can not claim ownership through authorship. However, assuming your grandmother is dead, and your are her sole heir, you may be the copyright owner under the laws where your grandmother died.... View More