Website Made Big $$ from my idea!

I submitted some pictures and a suggestion for a new category to a home improvement forum-type website (1-man show) where I was a member. They used my idea and pics to start the new category, which has since had 1000's of new posts and driven a TON of traffic to his site. That website has been sold twice, and is now owned by a big magazine conglomorate. I was curious if I may be due a royalty or commission for my idea having a huge $$ contribution to this site? The site was originally in Canada, but is now owned by a US company. I have hard proof that my idea started the forum, and all the visits to that forum, plus all the additional comments and new posts by others within that one forum. My original post is still there ...

Thank you very much for your kind advice.

estate

how to keep deceased mothers home from foreclosure

non-disclosure

what type of non-disclosure agreement do I need to protect me throughout the entire world or perhaps the U.S.I am a resident of Wisconsin. My idea could sell throughout the world but my primary interest is the U.S. market

Use of clients' logos on website

Hi, We'd like to some of our clients' logos on our website in a ''Featured Clients'' box where each logo appears for a a second or two. Is it necessary to obtain permission from the clients? Would it make any difference if we have a disclaimer such as ''All logos and trademarks are the logos and trademarks of the identified companies. These companies and their logos and trademarks are not affiliated with xyz or its products and services.'' Thanks!

Privacy Protection - Real Names and Facts Used in a Playwrite

I'm from Protugal and I lived a love story in USA, that can be considered a ''drama''. After 3 years since all happened I discovered (2 days ago) that my love story became a playwrite - it was on satge during April 2006, in NY and Florida. The playwriter used my real name and family name, physical description and other private facts. All this happened without my consentment. How can I get a full script of the play (to know all the details in it), since I only got a sample? And, what rights do I have once my private life was invaded?

Protecting my business idea

I have a business concept that I would like to protect while I talk to potential investors, partners, and consultants. My idea is a new version of an existing sport. I plan on using new technology that I did not invent but am applying in a different way, in a unique way. Can I protect my idea with a patent or trademark?

Federal rules of evidence

Does the state of Illinois follow the Federal Rules of Evidence? If so, which ones are they?

Author Rights to Publish

There is an author who has given me the rights to publish his books in spanish. What legal forms do I need to have him sign that clearly spells out who maintains the rights of the book and any other legal matters? The author lives in California and I am in Tennessee.

corporation & identity theft

Recently, my identity information was stolen by an employee of a major corporation. They claim they have no responsibility and are offering $162 in fee reimbursement in exchange for a hold harmless/final. While I have no plans for future claims, is the company responsible for further charges or anything? I would love to find a resource page regarding this. I live in Georgia.

patent infringement

Two major US companies (X and Y) will be going to court in Fall 07 on a patent infringement. X sued Y last year claiming Y was infringing X's patents on an Internet related technology.

Fact:

- I (my company) designed and built the product (that Y is being sued for) and demoed it to X two years before X filed the patent for it!

- Also, a year before the patents were filed, X proposed a settlement (out fo court) that I rejected (it was a redicolous one)

I contacted Y hoping we could partner against X (X tried to settle with me few years back - there was no Y at that time). Y (which went public in 2006) referred me to X as their wittness! Within 48 hours X sent me legal letters to appear in a deposition.

I am told I can not sue X nor Y. Is that correct? I can not sue X (something I wanted to do before contacting Y) and I can not get compensated by Y (for helping them) because I am a wittness.

IS THIS TRUE?

Here's more info:

- my name is not on the patents X has filed (it should)

- the technology was built and demoed more than 6 years ago.

- I know about X's patents since X-Y lawsuit made it to the news (in 2006)

- I live in the US.

Copying books/textbooks by hand.

Would it be an infringement of copy write law if I copied say a calculus textbook that is a current edition and then sold it for say, half the price? I mean is there anything about a photocopy machine or copier that makes such an endeavor any more illegal?

copyright

I have shot video for a local production company for over 10 years. I am not an employee, I am an independant contractor. There is no contract between the company and myself. I want to copy small portions of some of the original video to market myself to other companies. Do i have any legal rights to the video.

Creating software tutorials - Do I need Permission?

I would like to create some sofware video tutorials that demonstrate how to use a software program. The video will obviously show the software being used. Do I need to ask the creator of the software for permission?

LegalDownloadsUse?

I'm thinking of starting a business that creates video slide show DVDs from my customer's personal photos. Music would be added to the slide show.

Is it legal to use music tracks on the DVD, legally purchased, on the customer's behalf (and for the customers personal use only), from a source like Dell Music Match or other legal download site? If so, what statute protects me?

Stipulations:

1. I would Not retain a copy of the track, digital or analog, in any way, shape, or form after the DVD has been produced.

2. I would pay for and re-download the track again each time a new customer requested the same track.

3. Only one copy of the DVD would be produced and for only one customer.

4. I would probably try to print a confirmation of the download purchase to prove that I paid for the music.

5. I would argue that my fee would be for the service of producing the DVD from their photos, Not for the music.

Patent applications

Does the acronym pa stand for patent application?

Would the letter cn stand for china ??

Want to start a company

I worked for a company that tested doctors for residency certification. I want to start a company to help these doctors prep. This is what Kaplan trst prep does now. I want to make it available over the web. I never singed any documents related to non disclosure. Can I do this? I have never seen a full test, I am consulting established doctors and getting information on the test from books I purchased at a bookstore.

Copyright Infringment EULA agreement

I purchased thousands $$$ worth of DVD sets with royalty free graphics & Animations on them from a leader in this market. The company sold me as many of 8 copies of some of these DVD sets of there products.

Then one day a guy called me from the company and told me they could not honor an order I had placed because you are not permitted to own more than one copy of each of there products as part of their EULA. Never mind they fact they had already sold me multiple copies of many of there products alreadyat this time. They didn't honor that order but shipped me orders for two other orders I had already entered on there website and yes these were for products they had already sold me before as well.

Now when I purchase these I bought a few form me. Which I clearly put aside for my own use. But all the remaining units I bought purely to sell on eBay. I never opened the software. Never put it in my machine. etc. I sold several of these kept buying more from them selling them. Etc.

Then one day they call me and say I am violating there EULA agreement.

If I never used the software or agreed to a EULA at the point of purchase. Then how am I bound to a EULA

What are my right if they take me to court for those I sold

Pictures

I help run a sim racing league online, and i manage the website for the league. and a friend i meet online over the xbox 360 made some graphics for me. We have been friends for about 21/2 years online. The league owner has recently kicked him out of the league, and now he wants us to remove the pictures. He had made several images over the last year for us. I took them as gift to me. Am i liable for not taking them down? Does he have a right to the images since they were made for the league? In other words could he sue me if i didn't take them down.

THanks,

Stephen

I have been sent a formal document by a stock image corporation complaining that a company of mine has engaged in copyright infringement by using three small images on my company's website.

My company has been dissolved for many years now. In fact we never got off the ground and generated zero revenue. A disabled version of the website was kept up just so that we could reference the the back-end/login portion, which we used for computer programming project in college.

This stock company made these demands: #1. cease and desist displaying the images,and

#2. provide written response identifying all uses of the images.

I will comply with 1. Regarding 2, there was never was any other uses, so I will comply as well.

They also wrote that they must be compensated for the duration the images were published. This company also attached an invoice for damages of unauthorized use.

The question here is: does a defunct corporation that never generated any revenue have to pay? How should I respond to them? I have no lawyers, the front-end of the website was created by people I've long since lost contact with.

Copyright

I own a small business in which I make custom gifts for photographers to resale. The gifts use photos provided by the photographers. Can I place images of these gifts on my website?