Wants to Use Steve Jobs Speech
Dear Rich: We would like to use the transcript for the Steve Jobs commencement speech at Stanford University, June 2005 in a lesson at school (6th grade). Can we photocopy the transcript and distribute...
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Can I Display French Poetry At My Bar?
from the Paris Sketch Book by William Makepeace ThackerayDear Rich: I own a bar in New York City. The bar is named after a famous French poet from the late 1800s. He died in 1896. He drew sketches as...
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Can I Patent Invention Based on Previous Invention?
Dear Rich: I have come up with an idea and did a patent search to see if there was anything similar to what my idea was. There was something similar, but not exactly. The patent for that item expired...
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How Do They Know We're Playing Music in Our Store?
Dear Rich: We're going to be opening a pipe and tobacco store and want to play recorded music in it. The landlord for the building says that we will have to pay a fee to ASCAP. My question is if we...
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Canadian Gallery Wants Photo Releases
photo by Lewis Hine Power (1920)Dear Rich: A gallery in Canada offered me a solo exhibition next winter of a series of photo portraits of New York auto mechanics in their workshops. The owner is asking...
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Can I Sell My Star Trek "Inspired" Music?
(cover of a Star Trek sound effects recording)Can I sell my own compositions inspired by Star Trek and use "STAR TREK" in the album title? (example, "Star Trek: Eclipse (and other works). Do I need to...
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Wants to Reproduce Movie Trailer in Kiosk
Dear Rich: What if all I will reproduce is a public movie trailer that I would just reproduce just the same way it was originally released by the studios but in an offline kiosk? Reproducing a movie...
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Can We Use Facebook and Twitter TMs in Video Game?
Dear Rich: I have a client who is making an online/iphone game and in the game, the player will get a fictitious email from Facebook or Twitter with some info. Can they use those logos/trademarks in...
View ArticleWants to Post Movie on Facebook
)Dear Rich: My friend wants to upload a Hollywood movie in four parts so that his family can watch it on Facebook, one-fourth of the movie at a time. I told him that will be seriously illegal based on...
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Wants to Use College Logos for Cheerleading Site
Dear Rich: My partner and I are launching an informational website about college cheerleading. We are featuring squads from across the country. On one page, we list all of the schools featured on our...
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Can I Use Provisional Patent Drawings in Regular Patent Application
Dear Rich: I have submitted a provisional patent application with eight drawings using Inkscape software. Five drawings show four embodiments (uses for my invention). The drawings are good quality, but...
View ArticleCan Mechanical Violin Play Billie Jean?
Dear Rich: I'm making a short documentary about a guy who invented a machine that plays a real life violin. It's a kinetic sculpture and it can play anything that you can send to a midi file. I want to...
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Can We Post Pictures of Products?
Dear Rich: I am starting an online company to provide a service/outlet for people in their communities to sell or give away their unused household items. I have taken a collage style photograph of used...
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Wants to Sell "Wheel of Time" Crocheted Shawl
Dear Rich, My daughter has a talent for taking a description of an item in a book she likes and creating an original article of knitting/crocheting. For example, in the “Wheel of Time” book series,...
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Wants to Sell Kiosk Using Apple Computer
Dear Rich: Hi, I'm building a kiosk system that runs on an Apple computer. The main component in the kiosk system, at least as we intend it to be, is the software. We would simply like to use an Apple...
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Charity Seeks Clarity: New Lyrics for Old Songs
Dear Rich: I am seeking clarity about a non-profit educational project that includes a sing-along supplement. I have written new lyrics about money and charitable giving for a number of existing song...
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Infringement of Choreography Copyright?
Dear Rich: I choreographed a show for a producer NOT for hire. Now she is changing my choreography over my objections. Does she have this right? We have done the show 12 years but now she wants changes...
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Can I Use Public Domain Films That Contain Copyrighted Music?
Dear Rich: I have a sizable film collection of 16mm music films (soundies) from the 1940’s that I would like to assemble into a program for online distribution. All the films fell into the public...
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Fortune 50 Company Rewriting Pop Songs
Dear Rich: The company I work for -- for-profit Fortune 50 -- has been creating songs as learning tools for its employees and clients' employees. These adapted songs keep the tunes of popular music and...
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Are Freestyle (Improvised) Songs Protected by Copyright?
Dear Rich: Are songs that are created "on the spot" protected by copyright laws? I do freestyle songwriting and upload the video or MP3 on the internet. My songs contain original lyrics and melodies...
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