Monthly Archives: November 2011
Trademark 101: Basics
So you have decided on your business name, product name, or band name. You think the name is great and cannot wait to start using it to promote your business or yourself. What then? You need a trademark. A Trademark is a distinctive name, phrase, sign, symbol, or other indicator used by an individual or [...]
Copyright 101: You wrote a song, who owns it?
Believe it or not, this is a more difficult question than you might think. By way of example, let’s say you wrote a complete song in your room, including all chord progressions and melody lines. You play the song to your significant other to see what they think. They really like the song , but [...]
And you thought Janet Jackson’s “wardrobe malfunction” was over
In November 2011, some seven years after Janet Jackson and Justin Timberlake’s now infamous “wardrobe malfunction” at halftime of Super Bowl XXXVIII, the 3rd Circuit Court of Appeals issued a new decision in CBS’ ongoing battle against the FCC. The legal battle has centered on whether the FCC gave enough notice to the television networks [...]
Selling Your Script
You wrote your first screenplay or book, congratulations! Even better, your literary agent has shopped your work and found a production company interested in filming a movie or series. The first thing you do is copyright your work immediately if you have not already done so. The tough question is what do you do next? [...]
Green Day Wins Copyright Infringement Case by Asserting “Fair Use Defense”
Recently, the band Green Day won a copyright infringement suit by asserting the always unpredictable “fair use” defense. Los Angeles based artist David Seltzer brought the lawsuit claiming that Green Day used an original piece of artwork as part of one of their concert backdrops without permission. Seltzer claims, this is and was a misappropriation [...]