Copyright is a form of protection provided to authors of “original works of authorship” that are fixed in a tangible form of expression. Copyright covers both published and unpublished works.
What is covered under a copyright:
What is NOT covered by a copyright:
Copyright owners have the exclusive right to:
Copyright owners are entitled to statutory damages in case they prevail. A valid copyright registration is a prerequisite for suing for copyright infringement in federal court.
A trademark is a form of intellectual property that protects words, symbols, or designs that can distinguish a source of goods or services. This refers to symbols and marks used in commerce to identify goods and services, such as the Coca Cola logo. However, a trademark application can also be filed even if it is not actually used in commerce yet. It can serve as a source identifier connecting a particular good/service to its owner, which would easily build their brand and increase consumer recognition and trust.
While one can file and apply for any trademark, there are multiple considerations and formalities that need to be followed, for the purpose of ensuring that the applied-for mark provides you with your desired scope of protection.
In a very competitive market, a registered U.S. trademark provides a bundle of rights, including:
A patent is a set of exclusive rights given to an inventor, in order to protect a new and novel invention. A patent gives you numerous rights, including a monopoly on using the patent, which excludes others from making, using, selling or importing the patented invention into the United States for 20 years from the effective filing date (for utility and design patents) and 14 years for design patents.
If you want to use a patented, trademarked, or copyrighted piece of work, an intellectual property lawyer could help you obtain a license agreement with the owner for commercial use. A license is an agreement between the owner of the work and the party that wishes to use it for commercial purposes. Licenses can be beneficial for all parties involved — not just the licensees. If the work is especially popular, the licensors could find the partnership beneficial in generating revenue.
In the event that disputes or infringements need to be taken to court, our IP litigation team is ready to enforce and protect our client’s interests and work.
Trade secrets are a type of intellectual property that covers business information that has an economic advantage and is not generally known to the public. This may include formulas, designs, patterns, and strategies that are well-kept within an operation.
Domain names are important to how you brand yourself and define your business on the internet. Domain names will not only appear on your website, but also on services like your email (ex: pnlawyers.com & contact@pnlawyers.com). If you’re having issues obtaining a domain name or your IP is found within another domain name, our intellectual property attorneys can help you sort this out.
Art disputes refer to the creation, exhibition, and distribution of your artwork. Art disputes cover everything from copyright infringement to reseal rights of your work.