Copyrights and Trademarks

Copyrights and trademarks fall under the category known as Intellectual Property. As a practitioner, I have spent many years not only helping clients to protect their rights and ownership in their creative property or business marks, but, just as importantly, to exploit the full commercial uses and potential behind their property. Copyright affords the creative individual exclusive protection for their original artistic work, no matter what it is, as long as it can be set forth in some form of ãfixed mediumä. Trademarks not only identify goods, services and products but also build-up ãgood willä and public expectations that become associated through a productâs bearing an identifiable mark. The necessity for protection is more far reaching than ever before, especially with some of the current issues facing the market place whether involving downloading and digital technology or something a simple as trademark ãknockoffsä. I have lead successful trademark and copyright infringement cases in subject matter as varied as menswear to software. Further I have licensed extensive product lines for companies such as, Gloria Vanderbilt Home Furnishings, and have negotiated option agreements for book, music, film and theater rights. Registration with the federal government is the first important step to protecting your property. For example, you actually have an automatic copyright the minute you ãput pen to paperä but you cannot enforce your rights without filing for a copyright with the Library of Congress. The links above will take you to the two government departments that deal with copyrights and trademarks if youâd like to do a little more investigation into these areas.