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Satire, Parody and Fair Use -- Gulliver's Travels
Dear Rich: I'm working on a modern update of Gulliver's Travels. Like the original it's a satire, and in one of the chapters Gulliver travels to an island populated by film characters like Forrest Gump...
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All the News That's Fit to Recite With Music
Dear Rich: I'm a musician who composed a piece of instrumental music inspired by a 1995 New York Times article. When performing the music, there is a section during which I recite 110 words of the...
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Should I Trademark T-Shirt Phrases?
Dear Rich: I have a t-shirt company, and I want to know if I need to trademark each phrase or saying I want to print or do I have to list with the Supplemental Register? $325 for each saying doesn't...
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Band Wants to Use President's Name
Dear Rich: I read your Music Law book, but it didn't have the answer to my question. I'm the leader of a covers band. As a side project, some members created a group called Trumpelstiltskin and the...
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Obtaining 1960 Song From Copyright Office
Dear Rich: My husband published and obtained a copyright on a song and music in 1960. He subsequently misplaced his copy of the material. How would he go about receiving a copy of his song and music...
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Needs Historic Football Photos
Dear Rich: I am a retired NFL Veteran and also a retired Special Educator. I have written a book called "THE FIRST GAME" which is about the evolution of American Football. I need a recommendation for...
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Musician Looking For YouTube Royalties
Dear Rich: I signed a publishing deal with a major publisher several years ago. I had established a relationship with a popular Youtube celebrity who began using my music heavily in her posts. I made...
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Can I Post Performer's Image Without Consent?
Photo by Mark Marek Photography Dear Rich: I am building a webpage where visitors can register how much they would pay to see an artist's concert. Would the use of an artist's image without their...
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TEDx Talk Remix?
Dear Rich: I am giving a TEDx Talk about remixing education where I would like to use 10 seconds of three songs looped to show how a remix is designed using skills that should be taught to students. I...
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I Didn't Get a Model Release
If Leonardo DaVinci were to paint Mona Lisa today, he would need a release before licensing her image.Dear Rich: A long time ago, I took a picture of two girls after asking permission from their...
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When Beatmakers Collaborate
Dear Rich: If a beatmaker gives me a song to write lyrics to, my understanding is that based on their intent to have words created for the beat we split the copyrights and publishing equally. Is my...
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What Type of Drawings for PPA?
Dear Rich: I have created a very simple product with very few components. I am in the process of preparing a PPA [provisional patent application]. Will the USPTO accept photographs that explicitly show...
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Can Festival Domain Name Stop Similar Name?
Rasta HatDear Rich, I decided to create a brand and annual music festival called The Houston Reggae Festival. I registered the domain HoustonReggaeFestival.com, I created social media handles on every...
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Can a California Employer Claim All Employee Copyrights?
If Franz Kafka had an overreaching copyright provision in hisemployment agreement, his insurance company employermight have owned the rights to "The Trial." Dear Rich: As a condition of working for a...
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I Framed a Website; Now PicRights Wants Money!
Dear Rich: I build websites, and one of my clients is a small auto shop. The auto shop's website includes a listing of brands that they carry and includes links. Some of the links steer the user to the...
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How Can a 100 Year-old Autobiography Still Be Under Copyright?
Dear Rich: I am writing a play about a real woman who lived from 1839 to 1930. She wrote an autobiography which was not published in her lifetime. In 1994, it was finally published after some editing...
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Does "No Renewal" Equal Public Domain?
Dear Rich: I am an independent director/producer and I have a book and movie that I would like to remake into new films and I'm running into deadness on both fronts. The book is a sci-fi thriller from...
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My Cover Letter Was Copied for Job Ad!
Dear Rich: I applied to (and interviewed for) a job. Apparently, they were so taken by the prose in my cover letter that they decided to rip off two very specific, idiosyncratic sentences. They...
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Wants to Use Netflix Series for Language Course
Dear Rich: I am starting a language coaching business, and I would like to create a language class and discussion group around a foreign language Netflix show. The participants would watch the show on...
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Does Publisher of Letter Hold Copyright?
Dear Rich: I am trying to get permission to reprint a letter in a forthcoming book that will be a collection of letters. One letter has previously been published in a "Selected letters of ..." book....
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