Business Owner Trademark Copyright Primer
1 like532 views
This document provides a primer on trademarks and copyright for business owners. It discusses what trademarks and copyright protect, how to obtain common law and federal trademark rights, and the benefits of federal trademark registration. The document also covers selecting strong trademarks, proper trademark usage, copyright ownership and requirements, considerations for works made for hire, and strategies for combating counterfeit products.
Business Owner Trademark Copyright Primer
- 1. Trademark & Copyright Primer for Business Owners Wei Wei Jeang, Esq. wjeang@gchub.com 469.878.8643 www.GeneralCounselHub.com Copyright 2015 Wei Wei Jeang. All rights reserved.
- 2. Trademark Any word, name, symbol, or device (shape, color, smell, sound), or combinations thereof Identifies the source of the product or service Commercial identity and goodwill & reputation Trademark rights established based on use Can be your most valuable asset Copyright 2015 Wei Wei Jeang. All rights reserved.
- 3. Trademark Copyright 2015 Wei Wei Jeang. All rights reserved.
- 4. Trademark Common Law Rights Actual use Geographic scope of actual use Federal Registration Actual use or intent-to- use Geographic scope is nationwide Copyright 2015 Wei Wei Jeang. All rights reserved.
- 5. Trademark Use TM for trademark not federally registered Use 速 for federally registered trademark Examples: Copyright 2015 Wei Wei Jeang. All rights reserved.
- 6. Trademark Highly advisable to register your trademarks with USPTO Company name Product name Logo Slogan Copyright 2015 Wei Wei Jeang. All rights reserved.
- 7. Trademark Federal Registration Legal Presumption of Ownership Legal Presumption of Exclusive Right to Use Mark Public Notice of Ownership Recordation with U.S. Customs & Border Protection Can Sue Infringer in Federal Court Nationwide Geographical Scope Copyright 2015 Wei Wei Jeang. All rights reserved.
- 8. Trademark Domain Name Federal Trademark Registration Business Name Registration with State Federal Trademark Registration Copyright 2015 Wei Wei Jeang. All rights reserved.
- 9. Trademark Pick unique trademark Must not be confusingly similar to another mark Sound alike, look alike, same commercial impression for similar goods/services Copyright 2015 Wei Wei Jeang. All rights reserved.
- 10. Trademark Pick strong trademark Must not be Descriptive or Generic Fanciful or ArbitrarySuggestiveDescriptiveGeneric Copyright 2015 Wei Wei Jeang. All rights reserved.
- 11. Trademark Generic: MILK for dairy-based drink Descriptive: BRIGHT for flashlight Fanciful or ArbitrarySuggestiveDescriptiveGeneric Copyright 2015 Wei Wei Jeang. All rights reserved.
- 12. Trademark Suggestive: OASIS for cold beverage Fanciful: XEROX, CISCO, MICROSOFT Arbitrary: APPLE, BLACKBERRY, GAP Fanciful or ArbitrarySuggestiveDescriptiveGeneric Copyright 2015 Wei Wei Jeang. All rights reserved.
- 13. Trademark Common Problems: Descriptive No search before picking trademark Improper usage Use 息 with trademarks Copyright 2015 Wei Wei Jeang. All rights reserved.
- 14. Trademark Proper Usage: Use different font or capitalize to set apart Use as adjective Dont use as noun or verb Dont pluralize Dont use mark in the possessive Copyright 2015 Wei Wei Jeang. All rights reserved.
- 15. Trademark YES: Buy TIDE detergent The whitening power of Tide detergent Make a copy on the XEROX copier Buy 3 COCA-COLA soft drinks NO: Buy TIDE TIDEs whitening power Xerox this report Buy 3 Coca-Colas Copyright 2015 Wei Wei Jeang. All rights reserved.
- 16. Copyright Protect a work of authorship Examples: photograph, drawing, painting, lyrics, music recording, video/movie, literary text, computer code, screen layout, user manual Copyright 2015 Wei Wei Jeang. All rights reserved.
- 17. Copyright Two requirements: 1. Fixed in a tangible medium 2. Original Copyright 2015 Wei Wei Jeang. All rights reserved.
- 18. Copyright Ownership is in the author by default Hiring a photographer to take photos Hiring writer to write product description Hiring computer programmer to create code Owning a copy owning copyright Copyright 2015 Wei Wei Jeang. All rights reserved.
- 19. Copyright By default: Author is employee => Employer owns Author is independent contractor => Author owns Must have agreement with independent contractor that spells out ownership! Copyright 2015 Wei Wei Jeang. All rights reserved.
- 20. Copyright Be aware of using images taken off the Internet Best to design or shoot your own graphics and images and not take short cuts Amazon.com will remove listing upon complaint from copyright owner Possible statutory damages of up to $150,000 per violation Copyright 2015 Wei Wei Jeang. All rights reserved.
- 21. Copyright Ownership rights: 1. Make copies 2. Create a derivative work 3. Sell, distribute, transmit copy 4. Perform, display in public Copyright 2015 Wei Wei Jeang. All rights reserved.
- 22. Copyright Common law copyright Federally registered copyright Presumption of valid copyright Public notice Statutory damages Required before lawsuit Copyright 2015 Wei Wei Jeang. All rights reserved.
- 23. Copyright Consider registering 1. Photographs used in product listing 2. Photographs and graphics used on packaging 3. Product description 4. User manual Copyright 2015 Wei Wei Jeang. All rights reserved.
- 24. Copyright Federal copyright registration Simple form $35 or $55 filing fee (online) Copyright 2015 Wei Wei Jeang. All rights reserved.
- 25. Copyright Copyright notice not required but good idea. 息 2015 Adam Smith Copyright 2015 Acme Company Copyright 2015 Wei Wei Jeang. All rights reserved.
- 26. Combat Counterfeit Product Purchase counterfeit product Take pictures of packaging & product Capture screenshots of unauthorized use of trademarks and copyrighted materials File complaint with copyright@amazon.com and legal@amazon.com Get a lawyer involved Copyright 2015 Wei Wei Jeang. All rights reserved.