Every business has to market themselves through the wonderful world of advertising. When doing business, you will eventually need to use a stock photo, accompanying music, or otherwise work around patents. You will also need to create a logo, name, and slogan. All of these activities could lead to intellectual property violations, even if you do not mean to violate another business or person’s copyrighted intellectual property. A lawsuit can be very costly, and often cause you to have to pay excessive fees for using someone else’s copyrighted property.
Here are ways you can avoid intellectual property copyright litigation.
What is intellectual property?
Intellectual property is protected under several different categories, so you must be careful when navigating the use of intellectual property. The four major types of intellectual property include:
- Copyrights: Copyright protections extend to the original artistic work of a person such as a drama, music, video, literature, and even computer code.
- Trademarks: Trademarks are the branding of a company, such as phrases, words, or symbols that identify a company, good, or service. The Nike swoosh and logo “Just Do It” are examples of this.
- Patents: When someone creates an invention, they can patent it and give themselves exclusive rights to it for a period of time.
- Trade Secrets: Trade secrets cover information such as formulas, programs, and data that is proprietary in nature, such as the recipe for Coca-Cola.
As you navigate your business, it is essential to consider whether any of your activities may be violating any of these four types of intellectual property.
How can you avoid intellectual property violations?
- Ensure your business name and / or slogan is not similar to other businesses’ registered trademarks.
- Use original images or music in your advertising.
- If you want to use copyrighted material, obtain appropriate permissions from the copyright owner.
- Use media that is royalty-free and properly licensed.
- If in doubt, consult a knowledgeable lawyer.
At SHAMY, EL FADEL & MAHONE, we have business lawyers ready to help you avoid intellectual property copyright litigation.
You do not have to stress about whether you are possibly bringing corporate litigation on yourself by inadvertently using someone else’s copyrighted property when you consult with one of our knowledgeable attorneys. We help you avoid intellectual copyright lawsuits. Call us today at 561-939-8042 to get answers to your questions about trademark and copyright litigation near Boca Raton.
