Questions tagged [intellectual-property]
For questions concerning the ownership of ideas, designs and creative work. Specific IP tags include copyright, trademark, and patents.
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0answers
17 views
Best way for 2 startups to raise capital together towards building a product combining our tech? [on hold]
What legal options do 2 startups have to raise venture capital together? Each can bring complementary things to the table in order to build a product together. What are the safer ways to join forces ...
0
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1answer
36 views
Yojimbo lawsuit, copyright a story?
I read in the wikipedia article of the movie "A Fistful of Dollars" that the producers were sued by the producer of Yojimbo, the Japanese movie from which the plot line was borrowed, and that the ...
2
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1answer
17 views
Apart from trademark protection, what kind of intellectual property protection may logos have according to US law?
Apart from trademark protection, what kind of intellectual property protection may logos have under US law?
Could a logo be considered a graphical "work", therefore copyrightable? If it could, how? ...
0
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2answers
46 views
How to legally use patented designs for new CAD invention
I would like to create a mechanical piece of hardware using commercially purchased goods, for instance, drivetrain components like constant-velocity joints and driveshafts which can be purchased. I ...
5
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3answers
151 views
Bypassing website's paywall by modifying HTTP request headers
Recently I see some debates about bypassing paywalls by modifying browser's HTTP request as stated on ghack.
Most paywalled websites allow users to read a certain number of free articles before ...
2
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2answers
54 views
Can a registered user of a word mark which was registered as whole, break the word into parts and use it in the products sold?
As the question says if a user of a particular wordmark breaks his word into 2 and uses it on goods sold(tm is engraved on goods) then can he seek protection in case of potential infringement.
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1answer
35 views
Examples of Intellectual property scare tactics [closed]
What are examples of Intellectual property rights that are often used as scare tactics? ie like fake patents
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0answers
27 views
Reverse engineering of disk catalog database file [on hold]
I want write Disk Catalog (free an dopen source) program like WhereIsIt.
Usually files from WhereIsIt are exported to xml and some programs as WinCatalog uses this xml.
But export is time consumpting ...
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1answer
28 views
How are the standards for patent, copyright, quality, accounting etc. chosen?
Patents in the US last 20 years. Apparently this is a relatively common period for much of the world as well. I also notice our copyright policies match much of the world. So do our product ...
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1answer
58 views
Hiring part-time IT contractors who are under an IP assignment clause in their day contract
I plan to engage a contract developer part-time in the UK through his own Ltd. He's currently contracting in the day time for a software company. My project is in a very different area. However, that ...
0
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2answers
77 views
Is a text to audio conversion copyright infringement [closed]
If there is a web-based application which allows anyone to upload any content that he or she wishes, and convert it into audio easily. The content can be, for example, a PDF document or an article ...
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1answer
48 views
Should I raise another complaint or report to publishers?
There is this 3D repository site and marketplace. The site is quite popular, but I won't mention it. I have raised problems with their site in that their users are making available for download 3D ...
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1answer
31 views
Selling branded products
Legally speaking are individuals allowed to sell branded name products online, if not what are the consequences?
0
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1answer
27 views
Registering an app with a copyright office [duplicate]
So the big goal that I want to achieve is to have a proof that I made an app for any thing that might come up later. After asking and researching I found out that I can register a copyright for my app ...
1
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2answers
67 views
Can Hilton claim that they invented the chocolate brownie?
Recently on Good Morning Amercia, Hilton's CEO Chris Nassetta appeared to talk about Hilton's 100th Anniversary.
It was discussed, amongst other things, how Hilton has had many 'firsts', including ...
2
votes
2answers
37 views
First-to-use vs First-to-file trademarks
As I understand it, first-to-use ownership of a mark trumps first-to-file. If that is true, why spend money on getting a trademark for your business name?
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4answers
80 views
How can I legally use trademarked entities in my free computer game?
I'm making a free computer game based on Star Trek. It'll reference a few characters from the show, along with the Enterprise.
My understanding is by using character names from the show, I risk ...
0
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1answer
59 views
How binding are NDA's? [closed]
I live in South Africa, I have some research work that holds very good financial potential. This research to be conducted will be done in a group headed by me, how can I protect my idea from being ...
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1answer
45 views
How to protect my trademark application from a well funded startup?
I created a software application in the transportation space in 2016, and I applied for a trademark for a variant of the name (same sound, extra letter at the end) with an Intent to Use application in ...
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0answers
21 views
mailing list in law
I was wondering if there is any mailing list/google group for law research, diffusing call for papers, conferences, symposium, and job offers.
In particular for intellectual property law or French ...
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1answer
81 views
Can I use an image from The Wolf of Wallstreet for a social media vacancy? [closed]
I hope this is the right site for a question like this, but I want to use an image of Donnie Azoff (Jonah Hill) from the movie The Wolf of Wallstreet to use as a background for a social media post ...
7
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1answer
178 views
Trade restrictions on open source software
Apparently the US has put Huawei on a trade blacklist that prevents US companies to trade with Huawei. With hardware and proprietary software it is straightforward how this can be executed (don't make ...
1
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2answers
55 views
How does the Supreme Court ruling in *Fourth Estate* not undermine the DMCA's notice-and-takedown process?
The Supreme Court recently ruled in Fourth Estate v. Wall-Street.com that copyright registration occurs (and thus an infringement action can be brought) only after the Copyright Office takes action ...
1
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1answer
28 views
About Course Intellectual Property
Can you legaly share a course (without asking the writer) if you always quote who wrote it?
I said "always" because I'm talking about a large scale, not a private conversation on Facebook for example....
1
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2answers
34 views
Purchasing Electronic Books from Foreign Store
The question is motivated by my multiple attempts to find a legal way of obtaining Japanese-language electronic books from their official stores (let is be, say, Amazon.co.jp, though for Rakuten, ...
2
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2answers
144 views
did you consent because you could have seen a poster?
Instead of a signed release, in recent years I'm seeing posters saying that if you walk in an area you consent to the commercial use of your likeness for unlimited purposes without payment. At least ...
3
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1answer
93 views
Are computer generated error messages subject to copyright?
In firefox, it throws up a generated error in response to the website that im creating (which is my work). can i then copy and paste part of that error into my program as part of a solution im writing?...
8
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6answers
3k views
What does the copyright in a dissertation protect exactly?
I am a PhD student and I was recently told that unless I publish the content
of my dissertation, my university will not be able to freely conduct research in the same research area after I graduate. ...
1
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2answers
40 views
Assignment of Inventions with Employer
I have signed assignment of inventions with my employer. The exact wordings is not available to me - however I remember vaguely that it dealt with all inventions by employees being company's property.
...
1
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1answer
63 views
What's the best way to apply the 17 U.S. code 121 to obtain a copy of music in an alternative format?
I am interested in getting a score from Hal Leonard Corporation, but they might not be able to transcribe it to Braille directly, so that's something I will have to do myself.
Would I need to provide ...
1
vote
1answer
14 views
Registering a model of an existing item as a protected design in UK
The UK maintains a database of "registered designs", and by registering your design here (in my basic understanding) this affords some degree of legal protection against others copying your design, ...
0
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3answers
148 views
What laws are being broken by publishing a non-redacted version of the Muller Report?
What laws might be broken if someone created a non-redacted version of the Muller Report?
That is, suppose they wrote a version of the redacted portions and claimed they have no idea if it's the ...
0
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2answers
88 views
How can one protect a teaching method?
I've created a new teaching method.
My research, back to 1922, has not found any other instance of it in history.
Yes, there are elements, names, that could be protected but of course that will not ...
2
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2answers
91 views
What is the legal significance of stating that one does not own or claim rights in an uploaded youtube video?
I mean often you see uploaded videos containing content presumably copyrighted by 3rd party with the uploader stating:
"I don't own any rights in this video"
What effect does stating such have? Is ...
2
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1answer
51 views
Do sports figures control the right to use their name in a game?
In sports game simulations, do real people control the ability to use their name?
I am not talking about their likeness, only their name. So, for example, if there is a game that uses generic figures ...
0
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1answer
44 views
Is it legal to quote a copyrighted work in a tweet?
For example, if you want to tweet a humorous riff on a certain William Carlos Williams poem, would that actually be legal?
Examples (though I don't mean to single anyone out): https://twitter.com/...
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0answers
37 views
Ownership of a machine learning model conceived using employer's data
I want to experiment with my employer's proprietary data to create a machine learning model. My employment IP agreement states that this model would not be in the same domain as its operations, thus, ...
0
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0answers
33 views
Fair use of hardware/software configuration data
I’ve searched through the questions/answers here and after reading several, I’m still confused about this situation.
Wile E. Coyote has purchased the latest and greatest Road Runner Acquisition and ...
0
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2answers
77 views
Is a book formatting subject to copyright laws?
I'm an IT professional who happens to be interested in EU law.
Currently and for the next about 2 years I am tasked with writing a rather lengthy document (estimations are about 1000 to 1,200 A4 ...
6
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2answers
184 views
Hacking devices to unlock features: Legal or not?
There are 2 models of multimeter, A and B. Physically they are absolutely identical, yet model B has some functions unlocked, that are locked in model A. B costs about $400 more than A. If one tampers ...
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1answer
133 views
How to find the angle between Mickey Mouse's ears as specified in an official trademark?
The Walt Disney character Mickey Mouse's two ears sit on top of his head in such a way that the silhouette looks a bit like a water molecule, with the head as the oxygen atom and the two ears as the ...
2
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1answer
27 views
Reselling Value Added Products?
Imagining this scenario:
I buy a miniature Intel computing product, that comes with a pre-installed Windows operating system for personal usage.
Can I repurpose it by installing a customized Linux ...
1
vote
1answer
28 views
Work contract and own IP
I'm in contract negotiations with a company which have a trial period before offering full-time employment.
Reading the contract, I felt the wording around own IP was a little vague. I am working on ...
23
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6answers
12k views
How can saying a song's name be a copyright violation?
I received an E-mail newsletter inviting me to watch a chorus perform several songs that were arranged for this occasion. They are also selling tickets, so I don't know if half of the profit is sent ...
0
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0answers
27 views
IP How to avoid writing out Assignment of Inventions
Most (all perhaps) software-related employment contracts want you to list out your prior inventions. I would like not to disclose some of my "inventions" (past projects and such). Wondering how I can ...
29
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1answer
4k views
Can a significant change in incentives void an employment contract?
Recently over at The Workplace there was a question regarding an employee withholding valuable information that they developed in their spare time. According to their employment contract all ...
1
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1answer
219 views
Is Van Gogh's Starry Night in the public domain?
The image I am talking about is here:
The Wikimedia page indicates that:
This work is in the public domain in its country of origin and other countries and areas where the copyright term is the ...
2
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0answers
60 views
Can I remove a watermark applied by a software on my own work?
I was wondering if I can remove a watermark from an image created by me. I used a software to create the image (namely, Visual Paradigm Online): if I subscribe to a commercial license, the software ...
2
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3answers
143 views
Can someone legally use the word Java in a business name?
Assume someone wanted to open a real estate office and wanted to use the name Java Realty, would that violate the Java (programming framework) trademark?
0
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2answers
62 views
Can I make a copy of a well-known movie or video game character in my own artistic style?
If I were to take a well-known character from a movie or video game, lets say Super Mario, and I drew an image of him in my own art style, completely from scratch. Would I be infringing on Nintendos ...
