It sounds like you are talking about an invention? If so, you would use a patent (not a copyright) to protect this. NDAs are certainly a good idea, but by far the best thing you can do is file a provisional patent application. This is much simpler and less expensive than a full (utility) patent... View More

Jason Savarese Lawyers, want to be a Justia Connect Pro too? Learn more ›
answered on Nov 7, 2025

You need them to sign a nondisclosure, noncompete agreement with a liquidated damages clause. Noncompetition agreements must be limited in time and geographic area to be valid, but that varies case to case and state to state. Liquidated damages could say something like "if you disclose this... View More

Great question! I hear this type of question all the time, both from people trying to assert their rights and from people who are inspired by art.

Copyright is more or less literally the right to copy. Does your essay reproduce the song that is the inspiration? Are you copying it to beef... View More

AI summarization should not be covered by copyright law at all. Copyright is intended to protect specific embodiment of creative content. Copyright regulates specific words, rather than the ideas embodied therein. Summarization, while covering concepts, would not be a copy of the creative work as... View More

In some AI cases, the closer the AI output replicates its input, the more likely it will be considered copyright infringement, in cases where the original source is not credited, and the output is not being used for a different purpose or context.

In your facts you state that you have... View More

If your animation has a distinct purpose from Total War, your use of the dialogue from the series may be considered a classic case of Fair Use, which is a valid defense in copyright that may apply in the federal circuit that includes Washington. An example of Fair Use is a satire play where... View More

Generally speaking, you should be in the clear. Copyright protects embodiments of creative works. A news story would be protected, but the news - the recollection of what happened in the world - enjoys no special protections. Since you seek to discuss news events without using anyone's words,... View More

Generally speaking if you photograph things in the world, you hold the copyright. However, if you are just taking images of other art, with an eye towards reproduction, rather than the situation of the art in the world, then it is functionally an act of copying.

What this means is if you... View More

This is a great question! The fundamental nature of copyright is that you may not copy things that you do not own the rights to. Here, you look to be just decorating the books - like framing a painting, rather than creating prints from your painting if I understand correctly. So long as your... View More

Fictional stories that depict abuse or underage sex are generally constitutionally protected speech. This even applies to real person fiction. Of course the ethics of writing fiction that a real person might read about themselves, particularly if they are a minor, are a separate issue. Visual... View More

In general reading books or comics is considered a public performance which does need a copyright license. With that said, there is no automatic scanning of YouTube for readings from books, unlike the automatic scanning that exists for music. So given your small audience, you may be able to avoid... View More

Lanham Act is the enforcement measure for trademarks. Since I don't see any specific trademarks identified in your question, copyright would be the primary vehicle for enforcement.

You should have a copyright to the work. If you haven't registered the copyright, I would do that... View More

Generally speaking, no, it is not legal. Most streaming services only provide movies for home use only. Public display would not be within the "personal use" that is licensed with your subscription. Since you are dealing with Disney, I would expect them to be rather firm on this point,... View More

First, copyright and plagiarism are not the same thing. Keep that in mind. Plagiarism is an academic concern, whereas copyright is a legal concern. Lawyers do not concern ourselves with plagiarism. You would have to consult your academic institution to determine what would be required to avoid... View More

Emmanuel Coffy Lawyers, want to be a Justia Connect Pro too? Learn more ›
answered on May 10, 2025

Yes, using 10-second movie clips without licenses can potentially lead to legal issues. While "fair use" considers factors such as purpose, the length of the content used, and the impact on the original work's market value, using clips commercially or for entertainment... View More

You could use a character like Dr. Murray, who is inspired by Dr. Seward from the nineteen thirty-one film adaptation of Dracula, as long as your book is published after the film enters the public domain. Once the film is in the public domain, you might be able to draw from its specific... View More

Nicholas Arthur Matlach Lawyers, want to be a Justia Connect Pro too? Learn more ›
answered on Apr 16, 2025

Using websites like removepaywalls.com to bypass paywalls and access archived content through services such as the Internet Archive or archive.today raises potential legal issues, primarily relating to copyright law. The Copyright Act, 17 U.S.C. § 106, grants copyright holders exclusive rights to... View More

That's a great question, and I think that you should be on pretty safe ground because your use is transformative: it is designed to shine a light into your partner's creative process, which is quite different from the original purposes for which the reference images were created. I would... View More

1. Using Referenced Images for Commentary or Analysis

Including the original reference images alongside your ex-partner’s artwork for the purpose of commentary, critique, or scholarship can potentially fall under Fair Use, especially if:

The inclusion transforms the original... View More

I would double-check with the magazine to see if there is a contract on file even if you remember a verbal/handshake agreement. If there is a written agreement, please reach out to an experienced intellectual property attorney to review it in detail. There is something called a... View More