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Does LLC Own Officer's Blog Entries?
Dear Rich: I am part of an LLC that owns a blog. One of our officers was the active blog contributor. She died last year. Some of the other officers would like to publish her blog posts, but we are...
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Incorporating Scientific Method into App
Dear Rich: If a scientific method is used/incorporated into an app does the use require permission from the author? I have noticed some apps are out there that have relied on other publications such as...
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Wants to Protect Music Method
Dear Rich: I'm contacting you regarding IP patents for a product I have recently put into commercial format. What I am trying to protect is a unique pedagogical approach involving music and language....
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What Are My Rights When My Mural Is Destroyed?
Dear Rich: My husband is an artist. We recently discovered two issues we need clarified: (1) We found photographs of his murals for sale on a well known online image registry. We believe this is...
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Are Transcriptions of Public Domain Docs in the PD?
Dear Rich: Are typed transcriptions of handwritten public domain documents (such as the Declaration of Independence) in the public domain? Yes. In a district court case, a company copied a museum's...
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Is American Gothic in the Public Domain?
Dear Rich: I just purchased The Public Domain by Stephen Fishman. Glancing through, the author explains how the painting, American Gothic is not' in the public domain. Well, it is! Here is a statement...
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Can I Use Betty White Picture in Documentary?
Dear Rich: My daughter is doing her first short student film (5 minutes). It's about an elderly woman who lost her husband and is continuing her life by auditioning, etc. In the film she is using a...
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Do Animals Have a Right of Publicity?
Dear Rich: I am a pet photographer and recently I gave a client my release that states I own all rights to the images of the pets and that I can reproduce them for my own purposes. The client was...
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Will I Get Sued For Not Getting Movie Permit?
Dear Rich: Last year I shot a feature length film guerilla style in Washington D.C. I had very low budget for the film so I couldn’t afford the insurance or location permit fee. I went head and shot...
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Is It Legal to Rent eBooks?
Gutenberg gets his first KindleDear Rich: Do the the same copyright laws apply to electronic books as physical ebooks, in case of libraries? Can libraries buy an ebook from an independent retailer and...
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Can I Make Poster From House on Haunted Hill Movie?
Dear Rich: I run a poster production company that specializes in limited edition, studio licensed film and entertainment posters. I would like to know that if a film is public domain, does that mean...
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Why Can't I Play Cover Songs at Farmer's Market?
Dear Rich: I sing and play guitar (for about 50 years now). A few years ago I started playing and singing at a local farmer's market. About a month ago the manager of the market said I couldn't play...
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Can I Use Image If There is No Copyright?
Dear Rich: My question is a question about copyright as well as a question regarding your blog. I'd like to use an image from your blog (from this entry) but as you didn't specify who was the author, I...
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Can I Use Forensic Analysis of Crucifixion
Dear Rich: I am using a portion of a publicized lecture (regarding a forensic analysis of the crucifixion) of a recently deceased author. It will be published in my book for teaching purposes. I took...
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Can Joint Owner Assign All Patent Rights?
Dear Rich: In your first edition of your book, License Your Invention, you state in Chapter 4, "When there are joint owners, all of the owners must consent to an assignment of all rights to the...
View ArticleDo I Have to Pay to Use Public Domain Footage?
Dear Rich: I am working on a potential web series that would like to use material from old movie serials that are in the public domain. The first major issue I'm running into is how to properly source...
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Can I Copy Geometry Terms and Postulates?
Dear Rich: I would like to produce and sell a reference sheet for definitions, postulates and theorems used in high school geometry. I am wondering if these are copyrighted. I was looking through...
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Can School Grant Minor's Release In Loco Parentis?
Dear Rich: We are a not-for-profit producer of educational programming for public broadcasting. When minors participate in public radio programs, we obtain releases from their parents. If a minor is...
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Wants to Use Twin Peaks Quote
Dear Rich: We are a small publishing company and are about to publish a novel in which the author includes one brief quote from David Lynch's "Twin Peaks". The entirety of the quote is: “Have you ever...
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Dear Rich: I bought an item (500 feet of cable) on eBay, paid and received the goods. The goods were defective and after my complaining the seller refunded the purchase price and he further asked for a...
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