Paying morgage payment

I have been paying my girlfriends house morgage for 18 years do i have a right to the house??

use an illegal image by accident

designed a website for a friend's company a few months ago. it contained an image which i didn't realized it has legal issue. not the image stock company is trying to charge a lot even to remove the image from the website (which i did removed already). how to get this case solved in a better way for me?

release forms

I will be writing a book where I will use

personal testimonies. For those who

want to remain anonymous, would I

still need to have them sign some kind

of release before publication?

receving property threw a living trust

we were left a farm threw a living trust by a family friend (no blood kin) i no that we will have to pay gift tax on this when he passes. the sum will be around 50,000 will this have to be payed right away or can installments be made?

Trademark Usage

We have a handful of trademarks registered with the USPTO for our business. One of the main registered marks we have is also the name of our business. I know we can use the circle-R symbol with this trademark when it is used with the products/goods listed in the registration. Can we still use the circle-R symbol with the mark in company letterhead or on business cards as we have a brand logo with the company name (which is also the registered mark)? We are really confused as we know trademarks can only be used with the products or services they identify. However, what about a brand logo used generally like in a business card or stationary as both of which are used in conjunction generally with the company business (and the trademark protects goods in the business). If we can't use the company logo with a trademark symbol in this manner, would it be worth it and OK to put a footnote or notation with the logo which says, ''___' is a registered trademark of the [company]?

Copyright infringment

How does the jurisdiction of websites work? If I am based in one state, can I be held liable in a lawsiut in another state?

PHP vs. ASP

A software developer I know has been approached by a company to design a web-based software application for them that is very similar to a program they are currently leasing. The software they use now is written in ASP code, but my friend will write the new software in PHP code. Does he need to be worried about a copyright infringement considering not one line of his code will be identical to the current code?

similar product

What is the limit someone has if there product is almost like the patent you already have?

And if it's the same product could I recieve royalties or must I take legal actions for them copying my product?

transfer of patent rights

My partners wanted to give me 50% of the patent rights. How do I go about making this legal and what forms must I get and from where? And then I wanted to give some of my percentages away would I repeat the same process that I'm doing with my partners?

Discovery of business method / patent and employer claim to right

I work for a company that makes widgets. These widgets are used by other companies to provide consumers a service. If I discovered and patented a business process that makes it so companies no longer need to use widget or any other product to provide the same service and this discovery was independent of my employment responsibilities and this process can be licenced to companies to save on the cost of widgets and other similar items, does my employer have a right to this discovery? Is there a test that is used legally to determin relation to job duties? I am inclined to think that it would not be related to my company since it does not rely on their manufacturing or other trade secrets and it can be seen as a reasonable job expectation to develope a process that would put them out of business.

Thoughts?

patent law/ intellectual property

so i have an idea, but i dont know if it is patentable. so i should talk to an intellectual property lawyer, right? but how can i trust him? like lets say i tell him my idea but i chose not to work with him, can he ''steal'' it from me?

Do I still own the copyright?

Hello, I am an independent video

producer that does work for a large

firm. There are no written

agreements that my work is a ''work

for hire''. I am not on the payroll,

and I work from my own office

offsite. I also receive a 1099-misc a

the end of the year... I am not an

employee.

My question is, do I still retain

copyrights to work I did, if I am

required by the company to place a

''�Copyright ''Their Company'' 2008''

on all of my products? Or is that

essentially me signing the copyrights

to them?

Thanks

Unknowing sold counterfeit items

I bought about 40 NFL jerseys from a website who advertised and swore to me that they were authentic and I have documentation to prove that. I sold them on Ebay over a 12 day period. I was then served with a ''cease and desist'' order from the lawyers for Adidas/Reebok. They demanded that I stop, sign a paper saying that ''I sold illegal merchandise'' and pay them $450. I responded with a letter explaining to them what happened and told them where I got the items and that it was an honest mistake and gave them plenty of proof. There was obviously no criminal intent and this was an anomaly. I had no clue about jerseys and believed the merchant. They responded by demanding that I sign their statement and pay them. I don't mind paying, but I don't want to sign a statement saying I committed a crime because I never knowingly sold anything illegal. Am I liable even though the person who sold them to me claimed they were authentic? If I sign that statement, will they try to prosecute me? Can this become a criminal matter or just civil? How can I get them to leave me alone without incriminating myself?

Website Abuse

In the terms of service to my website that everyone has to agree to in order to create an account, clearly states that any/all members agree to pay $100.00 per unapproved, unauthorized email, posting, advertisements, etc when they violate the terms of service by posting ads ,spam members through the site. What is the best way to handle these violations and collect the funds or get judgments and or garnishments?

I am sick of cleaning up the spam and of my members being spammed by these spammers that want something for nothing. It takes a lot of my time to clean up the crap they leave. Most are advertisements for their websites and in most cases it's not hard to track down who they are.

Question about Trademark Law

I am creating a business and am not sure about how to use a trademarked name within the business name?

For example, my business would be teaching people how to use Photoshop (trademarked by Adobe), so the name I wanted the business/website to have would Photoshop ______ (fill in the blank with whatever I decide, something like Unmasked, Simple, etc). I was not sure about the legality of using an already trademarked name within my name if I show that it's registered to Adobe? If I'm promoting the product, simply teaching people how to use it?

John Wayne - Old Movies - Royalties

Hello,

I work for a not-for-profit museum and we are wanting to show old John Wayne movies in our 144 seat theatre over the winter months as part of a fund-raising effort. If we have a free-will offering and do not charge for the movie, do we need to worry about paying movie royalties?

give and take

My Question is My grandfather gave my father a rifle 20 years ago my father gave it to me my grandfather wants it back and has contacted a lawer any suggestions.

trademark violation

I have a question regarding what is

considered a trademark violation. is

it legal to sell knock-off purses if

you clearly state that the item is a

knock off but still looks like a

genuine article - i.e. same logo, etc.

copyrighting a foreign language term in the states

I was wondering if it is possible to trade mark or copy right a foreign language term or word in the states and the use will be used for an association? I am looking to trade mark or copy right a foreign word for use in an organization that is being formed in the states..

celebrity ''likeness''

My friend drew a ''logo'' which was inspired by a ''celebrity'' (a contestant on a reality show). The drawing in question is in a photobucket album, if you can take a look (I was not able to put the URL here, but you can go to the photobucket site and enter ''blaker dreadhead'' in the search field--it's the only item there).

To me, this drawing is so ''generic'' that it's not really a likeness of anyone (even though it was inspired by a ''celebrity'' with dreadlocks). The drawing was created as a logo for a group of fans. My friend then sold items using her drawing (such as coffee mugs, T-shirts, pins, etc.). Now the celebrity is saying she must stop selling these items because it is using his ''likeness.'' I think it's her own artistic creation and she should be able to do with it as she pleases. OH! I need to mention that my friend did copyright this drawing before she began to sell her products.

Thanks very much for your help!

(please note that my friend lives in Kentucky and I live in Oregon, and the celebrity is a resident of Texas).