Ideas matter. We shape our world through innovative and original ideas that stand on their own or build on the hard work of others. Turning an idea from a thought into a reality requires hard work, resilience, and legal consideration. Patent protection secures the hard work you put in every day and creates new opportunities for yourself and your business. If you are ready to take your idea to the next level, you Read More

Takeaway No. 3: Sometimes the Principle is Worth Fighting For. Sometimes, you need to fight for what is rightfully yours. Ed Sheeran generated his iconic song, “Thinking Out Loud,” from his own mind and proudly defended the rights of his original musical creations against Marvin Gaye’s heirs over alleged copyright infringement.  In our final takeaway, Catherine Cavella Esq. Speaks of our right to defend our Read More

Takeaway No. 2:  Similarities in A Genre Do Not Amount to Copyright Infringement (Copying) Ed Sheeran has been fighting with Marvin Gaye’s heirs since 2017 over copyright infringement for the deceased 1973 hit song, “Let’s Get It On.” Finally wrapping up in 2023, Sheeran won this court case and cleared his name of all accusations. In IP WORKS LAW’s Takeaway 2, Catherine Cavella Esq. further examines similarities in Read More

Takeaway No. 1: Similarity Alone Does Not Mean Infringement.  Unless you have been living under a rock, you know a big copyright infringement case just wrapped up, with a jury verdict in favor of British pop star Ed Sheeran. The heirs of Marvin Gaye accused the pop star of copying the music (specifically the chords, rhythm, and melody) of the 1973 hit “Let’s Get It On” in his Grammy-winning song “Thinking Out Loud.” Read More

Celebrities – they’re just like us! Well, not quite in all ways, but celebrities and big companies frequently deal with intellectual property legal matters just like us regular folk. We can learn from high-level IP cases and make better decisions for our own businesses. Whether your team is considering pursuing IP litigation or is facing IP litigation, these famous cases can provide valuable insights into your Read More

Part of powering your ideas is protecting them. As you grow and create and innovate, others will keep a close eye on what you are building and may see what they can get out of your hard work – even when they have no right to do so. Patenting your invention gives you the right to control the use of your innovation. Registering your trademarks and copyrights gives you more legal authority to control the use or Read More

Trademark protection for your brand identity provides you with exclusivity and opportunity. Securing trademark protection is just another step in a longer process, however. We previously talked about the process of renewing various IP protections, including trademarks. These marks require attention and effort over time to uphold and renew. Trademarks are not a “set it and forget it” effort. Failing to use your Read More

Ideas and inventions fuel our world. Creative minds putting ideas to paper and eventually turning those ideas into reality can change the way we live each and every day. The process does not happen overnight, however. When you invent something, you will often need financial backing for the production and marketing of your product. Pitching your product will often be the first time you have exposed your invention Read More

For most people, the flip of the calendar from 2022 to 2023 means another celebration of time passing and another year to make the most out of our lives. In the world of intellectual property, January 1st marks a different kind of holiday, if you will. Every January 1st is Public Domain Day – a day when a whole new set of works have their copyright expire and enter into the public domain. This allows artists and Read More

Your unique service deserves to be trademarked as much as anything else you’ve worked hard to create.  You need to choose a trademark symbol to safeguard your genius, but which is best? One option is a servicemark, (SM — Servicemark Symbol SM sometimes written “service mark” or “service-mark”) which is a trademark that at one time was necessary to identify a trademarked service. With current law however, you might Read More