Intellectual Property
Protect your work from copycats. Learn the difference between trademarks, copyrights, and patents so you can safeguard your intellectual property.
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Developing an IP Strategy
Protecting your invention, logo or creative work with a patent, trademark or copyright is important. But equally important is creating an IP strategy.
· 5 min read
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Recapturing Copyrights: A Second Chance at Royalties
Many of the world's most famous musicians are getting a second chance at controlling their creations. Musicians like Bob Dylan and Eagles, might have their copyrights returned to the original artists. How this will ultimately affect the music industry remains to be seen.
· 3 min read
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Court Confirms Architectural Drawings Protected by Copyright
Copyright is a form of protection provided by the laws of the United States to the authors of “original works of authorship” fixed in a tangible medium of expression. The U.S. Copyright Act identifies several categories of copyrightable works, including literary works, musical works, motion pictures, and other audiovisual works, and pictorial, graphic, and sculptural works.
· 3 min read
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How the Copyright Alert System Discourages Illegal Downloads
Content creators have partnered with major internet service providers to develop the Copyright Alert System, which identifies users who download copyrighted content illegally and imposes certain consequences. Here's how it works and what it might do for intellectual property protection online.
· 3 min read
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Copyright Law's First Sale Doctrine
In early 2013, the United States Supreme Court decided a case involving a longstanding principle known as the first sale doctrine, which allows the owner of a lawfully made copy of a copyrighted work to sell or otherwise dispose of the possession of that particular copy, without the authority of the copyright owner. The doctrine is codified in §109 of the Copyright Act of 1976.
· 3 min read
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Can You Patent Your Mobile App?
Protect your intellectual property by applying for a patent at the right time and with the right details about your unique app.
· 3 min read
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Social Media's New Intellectual Property Challenges
Sharing your photos online can be problematic—especially if you are hoping to retain your rights to credit and royalties. Photographer Daniel Morel learned this the hard way when his dramatic photos of the Haitian earthquake went viral—credited to someone else.
· 3 min read
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The Pros and Cons of Registering Photo and Music Copyrights as a Collection or Group
For a prolific artist, photographer or musician, trying to register a copyright for each creative piece separately can be expensive and time-consuming. The option to protect entire collections of work as a group offers enticing savings in time and cost. But this option comes with important restrictions every artist needs to be aware of.
· 5 min read
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Your Startup's Most Valuable Asset Is Its Intellectual Property
As a company grows and expands, its most valuable intellectual property may not reside in any of the specific technical features but rather in the brand that users associate with the service: the company's trademarks.
· 3 min read
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Lessons from Her Grandmother: Attorney Mary Beaghler Penn on Life, IP, and Branding
For the past five years, Mary Beaghler Penn has been helping LegalZoom customers protect and defend their brands, and register and maintain their trademarks and copyrights. We recently had the opportunity to talk with Mary about some of the major influences in her life, her focus on intellectual property issues, and why she feels business owners need to take steps to protect their brands.
· 6 min read
