Intellectual Property Law

Why Register?

By Anthony Verna, Esq.

One question that someone always asks is, "Why should I register my trademarks or copyrights?"

There are a few reasons for registering.

1. Public notice. In both a trademark and a copyright registration certificate, the owner of the intellectual property is listed. Trademark certificates are filed with the United States Patent and Trademark Office. Copyright certificates are filed with the Library of Congress.
2. Public descriptions. In a trademark certificate, the goods and services are listed. In a copyright certificate, a brief description of the work is filed, along with two copies of the work itself. The owner of the intellectual property is also listed.
3. Geography. All registrations are good in all fifty states and all territories of the United States.
   
4. Barriers to lawsuits. If a trademark is not registered, it is considered a common law trademark. The goods/services and geography of the mark must be argued in court if there is infringement. No infringement lawsuit can be filed on a copyright that is not registered. Should there be infringement before registration of a copyright, the copyright owner loses damages (statutory damages up to $150,000 and attorney's fees) and is only allowed to collect actual damages for the copyright infringement.
5. The power of federal law to help with damages in any intellectual property lawsuit comes only with registration.
   
6. Ease of cataloging. This is a thought that not many people have. If a mark or work is registered, then there is a number. Should the mark or work be sold or licensed, then it is easy to state in a contract what the number is and what the property is.

People also ask me for examples in different industries. Here are a few.

• Syrup manufacturers are gearing up for a trademark dispute: http://www.nola.com/news/index.ssf/2009/06/snowball_wars.html
• Tony LaRussa (manager of the St. Louis Cardinals) and Twitter settle their trademark dispute: http://www.stltoday.com/blogzone/bird-land/bird-land/2009/06/tony-la-russa-and-twitter-settle-lawsuit/
• Intel and Psion settle their trademark dispute: http://jkontherun.com/2009/06/01/psion-intel-settle-netbook-trademark-infringement-case/
• The Naked Cowboy (owner of many trademarks) sues a station for trademark infringement: http://tinyurl.com/lldt3l

New Webinar on Thursday afternoon!

This will be a webinar on copyright and trademark law for small businesses. Learn what a trademark is. Learn what a copyright is. This is going to be a primer so that you're familiar with the terms and with the differences between these areas of intellectual property. Don't hesitate to protect your trademarks and copyrights!

Title: Copyright and Trademark Law for Small Businesses

Date: Thursday, June 11, 2009

Time: 3:00 PM - 4:00 PM EDT

After registering you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the Webinar.

System Requirements
PC-based attendees
Required: Windows® 2000, XP Home, XP Pro, 2003 Server, Vista

Macintosh®-based attendees
Required: Mac OS® X 10.4 (Tiger®) or newer

Space is limited.
Reserve your Webinar seat now at:
https://www2.gotomeeting.com/register/268310634

The Trademark, Copyright, and Entertainment Law Forum is written by Anthony Verna. Please note that it is for the discussion of recent developments in these areas of law. The forum is not a space for legal advice. Please seek the help and counsel of an attorney for your legal needs. Visit the Law Firm of Anthony Verna - www.nyctrademarks.com.

Full post as published by Trademark, Copyright and Entertainment Law Forum on June 09, 2009 (boomark / email).