Business Owner Trademark Copyright Primer

Trademark & Copyright

Primer for

Business Owners

Wei Wei Jeang, Esq.

wjeang@gchub.com

469.878.8643

www.GeneralCounselHub.com

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

Trademark

Common Law Rights

• Actual use

• Geographic scope of

actual use

Federal Registration

• Actual use or intent-to-

• Geographic scope is

nationwide

Trademark

• Use TM for trademark not federally registered

• Use ® for federally registered trademark

• Examples:

Trademark

• Highly advisable to register your trademarks with

• Company name

• Product name

• Logo

• Slogan

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

Trademark

• Domain Name ≠ Federal Trademark Registration

• Business Name Registration with State ≠

Federal Trademark Registration

Trademark

• Pick unique trademark

• Must not be confusingly similar to another mark

• Sound alike, look alike, same commercial impression

for similar goods/services

Trademark

• Pick strong trademark

• Must not be Descriptive or Generic

Fanciful or

ArbitrarySuggestiveDescriptiveGeneric

Trademark

• Generic: MILK for dairy-based drink

• Descriptive: BRIGHT for flashlight

Fanciful or

Trademark

• Suggestive: OASIS for cold beverage

• Fanciful: XEROX, CISCO, MICROSOFT

• Arbitrary: APPLE, BLACKBERRY, GAP

Fanciful or

Trademark

• Common Problems:

• Descriptive

• No search before picking trademark

• Improper usage

• Use © with trademarks

Trademark

• Proper Usage:

• Use different font or capitalize to set apart

• Use as adjective

• Don’t use as noun or verb

• Don’t pluralize

• Don’t use mark in the possessive

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

• TIDE’s whitening

• Xerox this report

• Buy 3 Coca-Colas

Copyright

• Protect a work of authorship

• Examples: photograph, drawing, painting,

lyrics, music recording, video/movie, literary

text, computer code, screen layout, user

manual

Copyright

• Two requirements:

1. Fixed in a tangible medium

2. Original

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

• By default:

• Author is employee => Employer owns

• Author is independent contractor => Author

• Must have agreement with independent

contractor that spells out ownership!

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

• Ownership rights:

1. Make copies

2. Create a derivative work

3. Sell, distribute, transmit copy

4. Perform, display in public

Copyright

• Common law copyright

• Federally registered copyright

• Presumption of valid copyright

• Public notice

• Statutory damages

• Required before lawsuit

Copyright

• Consider registering

1. Photographs used in product listing

2. Photographs and graphics used on packaging

3. Product description

4. User manual

Copyright

• Federal copyright registration

• Simple form

• $35 or $55 filing fee (online)

Copyright

• Copyright notice not required but good idea.

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

Business Owner Trademark Copyright Primer

Documents

Transcript of Business Owner Trademark Copyright Primer

Trademark Opposition and Cancellation Proceedings at the TTABmedia.straffordpub.com/products/trademark... · 29/11/2017 · a current email address(es), of the current owner of the

Trademark Research & Brand Protection Brand Names published in Trademark Journal on 10th february 2014 | Understanding Intellectual Property & Brand Trademark | International Trademark

DOCSIS 3.0 Primer - bowe.id.au · DOCSIS 3.0 Primer. Motorola Internal Use Only MOTOROLA and the Stylized M Logo are registered in the US Patent & Trademark Office. All other product

Intellectual Property an Introductory Primer United States Patent and Trademark Office.

Trademark/Service Mark Application, Principal Register · Trademark/Service Mark Application, Principal Register United States Patent and Trademark Office Trademark Electronic Application

Trademark Clearinghouse Guidelines › sites › default › files › file… · Trademark Clearinghouse Guidelines 7 1.4. Participants 1.4.1. Trademark Holder Trademark Holders

BlackhatReputationManagemen - Trademark Productions · 2013-08-12 · SEO • Agency owner in metro Detroit • Co-founder of LinkXL • Founder of Recycling for Charities • Founder

Know Your Rights: ALegal Primer for Software Developers ... · Trademark Tips and Traps •A seemingly unique name may already be in use. • Conduct a trademark search before you

Critical Care Obstetrics Primer · Critical Care Obstetrics Primer Stephanie Martin, DO Maternal Fetal Medicine Specialist Medical Director and Co-owner, Clinical Concepts in Obstetrics

Trials@uspto.gov Paper No. 41 UNITED STATES … STATES PATENT AND TRADEMARK OFFICE _____ BEFORE THE ... TransPerfect Global, Inc. (“Patent Owner”) filed . CBM2014-00060 Patent

Structuring Trademark Coexistence Agreementsmedia.straffordpub.com/products/structuring-trademark-coexistence... · Structuring Trademark Coexistence Agreements Evaluating and Negotiating

TRADEMARK LAW IN TURKEY · subsequently dated infringing trademark, but did not take action against such use for more than 5 uninterrupted years, the trademark owner will not be able

7. Adapting EU trademark law to new technologies: back to ... EU... · Through investment in advertising, the trademark owner can easily use this exclusive communication channel to

UNITED STATES PATENT AND TRADEMARK OFFICE TRADEMARK PUBLIC

TRADEMARK PROTECTION AND PRODUCT DIFFERENTIATION...1 1. Introduction A trademark serves the purpose of distinguishing a product from other products and identifies the trademark owner

Web viewSymbol / Word(s) TM # Trademark Description . Owner or Business. ... Silver Princess. Bronson Reel Company. 513041. ... Horace A. 72096. English Pound. Whittemore

4 CHI.-KENT J. INTELL. PROP. 289 ---> - Student …studentorgs.kentlaw.iit.edu/.../06/13_4JIntellProp2892004-20051.pdf · To prove infringement, the trademark owner must show that

grabovoitm.files.wordpress.com · GRIGORI GRABOVOI OWNER OF THE TRADEMARK RIGHT) Kan (INTERNATIONAL REGISTRATION DATE) EJ (REGISTRATION DATE) Apparatus for recording, transmission

Trademark Research & Brand Protection Brand Names published in Trademark Journal on 21 april 2014 | Understanding Intellectual Property & Brand Trademark | International Trademark

Liability for Trademark Infringement for Internet Service ... · trademark infringement and trademark dilution, which are sanctioned by civil remedies, trademark counterfeiting and