Intellectual Property Infringement

I and a friend are independent contractors (software development) where we have worked on various IT projects for a large/national company (Company A). We have had a relationship with this company for over 5 years and are now very knowledgeable about their industry.

We are thinking of building an application to service this industry to promote/sell (this would include to Company A's competitors). This application would be generic enough to service this industry vertical without giving away any of Company A's trade secrets.

However, we are still concerned that Company A may consider this an infringement on their intellectual property. So, what exactly would be the definition of intellectual property?

Music sharing

I'm gettin ready to launch my social network here in a few days. I've read up on copyright laws and what I need to do to protect myself. However, it's still unclear whether or not I can share music files online. I was wondering if there was a way that my members could legally share music from other artists without violating copyright laws? Thank you for your time.

write advice column/copywrite

I want to start an information/advice column. I would like to syndicate also. How do I keep my idea safe? How do I copywrite every article I submit while getting started?

Intellectual Propert

My finace is writting a program for his employer that collects and analyzes a certain kind of industry data. His employer will use this program internally - they do not sell programs. We feel that this is a program that could be sold to others in the industry. Is my fiance within his legal rights to create a similar program and market it? This will not involve sharing any of the organization's specific or confidential information.

Thank You

Intellectual Property/Patents

I had the idea of printing graphics (photos, text etc.) on products where I've never seen graphics custom-printed before. This is using existing technology, but in a new implementation. Is there any way to copyright/patent/protect this idea, so others cannot copy it? Thank you for your help.

Copyright, Royalties and Entertainment

My wife and I are co-producers of a recording project currently underway. My wife has a history as a successful artist in the Philippines (multiple number one hits) from the mid-80's thru the mid 90's. We are currently collaborating with composers in Nashville, arrangers in Manila, etc. etc. We have been getting diiferent advice from many different people regarding publishing rights, royalties, etc., etc.

Is there someone we can talk with to help us understand what we should do to prepare for the on-line sales (and Philippine distribution) once the project gets completed?

Trademark Mischap

We have a clothing line, we have not trademarked our brand. We just checked the federal database and it seems that someone already trademarked our brand. What can we do about this?

Photocopying Foreign Money in the USA

Is it illegal to photocopy foreign paper money in the United States for use in an art project? This would be for decorative purposes only. I have heard that you can only photocopy US money if you supersize it. What if it foreign currencly, is only single sided, and/or on colored paper?

domain trademark

I want a name for my biz. the domain name was

registered 10days before I searched for it. If i trade

mark first, will I have rights to it because of the short

time between when they registered and I looked and

formed my biz and put in the trademark papers (there

is no web presents or trademark papers for the name. I

searched that too)? They are in CO and I am in IL. I did

a domain registration search to find this info.

invention

I am trying to bring a new product to market. The product that I will be selling needs pre-exesting technology to work.

How do I get the a license to use other patents for my patent?

Writer's contract

I am contributing a chapter to a

book. I am not being paid; I am being

offered a bio in the book that will let

readers know about me, my services

and my Web site.

I have been asked to sign a contract

(I haven't received it yet) that, as I

understand it, will give the person

putting this project together the right

to use my material in more than the

book, i.e. CDs, programs, workshops.

I also have the right to use it, though

I have to refer always back to the

original book

Does this contract sound typical?

What do I need to know to protect

my rights in this? Or is this

something in which I really need an

attorney to advise me?

I am in Illinois; however, the person

in charge of the project is in

California.

Video game modification and IP infringement

Valve software corporation produces a popular video game series called ''Half Life''. Valve provides software tools so that end users with a knowledge of programming and 3D design can replace all existing art assets, effectively creating a new game using Valve's ''Source'' engine. Unfort., these days, well over 1/3 of all user created HL2 mods involve IP infringing content. The ability to play and make games with popular (and infringing) IPs as their subject certainly helps to drive sales of the Source engine.

Is Valve liable for ''for contributory and vicarious copyright infringement'' under the DMCA?

Could the aggrieved IP holders start a class action suit?

What would the most likely outcome of such a lawsuit be?

I think a similar instance is seen in the suit Marvel brought against NCSoft's ''City of Heroes'' franchise. NCSoft settled out of court.

I realize that this is a hypoth~ ques., but a definitive ans. may help avoid a world-wide community of aspiring game devs. avoid being litigated out of existence. I'm a legit game dev looking to inform the community.

Are speeches copyrighted?

Can I sell framed famous speeches, if I

type them and print them. For

instance, can I take a famous speech by

Winston Churchill, type it up in WORD,

frame it and sell it?

copywright

to what extent does the disclaimer ''any similarity between characters of this work and actual people and events is purely coincidental'' free the publisher of a book or server of a website from liability from expoitating an actual person's life and strife some of which may have been caused intentionally to make an on going 'biography'' more interesting?

copyright...manuscript ownership?

I plan to submit a manuscript to a fiction contest operated by a very prominent publication. In their rules it states that ''All manuscripts become the property of ____ and will not be returned.'' Does this mean by submitting I lose my rights of ownership to my written work even if I don't win the contest? I'm concerned that if I submit and don't win that I will be unable to submit the same work to other publications in the future.

Questions about a Trademark infringement claim

Today I received a cease and desist letter from a company that has trademarked the name ''Skin Store''. My company's name is ''The Original Skin Store''. I have been using the name since 2000 as a seller on ebay, and in the last 4 years on my own internet site and I own the domain. They registered the name in 2000. I did not trademark the name because I thought it was ''generic'', but evidently not. We sell the same type of item, though I sell only my own product line that I developed under The Original Skin Store Name. So, now that I sound totally defensive (!) my questions are as follows:

1. Does the name ''The Original Skin Store'' infringe on the trademark ''Skin Store''?

2. What are the rules regarding generic terms as trademarked names?

3. If I am hosed, how can I make sure the next name I pick is not going to conflict with someone else's name? I looked my name up in TESS at the US Govnt site, and it came up with nothing, I thought I was doing the right thing. I never intended to infringe, this was not deliberate, but I have spent 8 years developing my product line under this name, and I am devestated that I am going to have to change it all. Any help or advice you can give would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.

Can i re-use an event name?

i worked for a company that sponsored an event (live music, food, drinks) and the actual event was given a pretty distinct name. the event was free but it was promoted on the radio and shirts were distributed with the name of the event on it. the company no longer wants to put on the event and i no longer work there. can i put on and promote a similar event under the same name but with a different organization?

being suid

am being suid for property damages.the man suing me claims i hit his passeger car door when i didnt.i threw a almost empty water bottle at the driver side car door.he is making alot of false accusations and i have court date and i cant afford a lawyer .i got very angry after he got right in front of ne when i was driving pretty fast and to avoid hitting him i almost lost control of my car.and that mad me very angry so i honked at him he just laughed so i honed again and he pulled over and so did i and we got in an argument this happened almost a year ago the police came to my house to ask me questions and showed me pictures and i didnt see any dents or anything.and the police man said the man is just making it a bigger deal then what it really is for money which i dont have because am a full time student.

Publishing photos without releases

I took pictures of some people who have recently been involved in notorious activity and one of whom is dead. I got permission to take photos, but i never got the releases signed. What risk do I run if i hang them at a local gallery or publish them in any way?

Legal Representation for Inventors And Additional Patent Applications

1-One uses an attorney who specializes in intellectual property law to apply for the patent for an invention. After that, what kind of attorney does one hire to handle the next steps, i.e. investor seeking, marketing, advertising? I'm in contact with major fitness corporations, but I need representation before meeting with them personally.

2-Does an additional patent application need to be filed for if the design, function or some concepts have been modified--differing from the originally patented invention?