How lucky we are to have the Internet nowadays to market our creative wares — whether our song or drawing or poem. But with this new marketing frontier comes a new risk: ease of theft of the work by a mere click of a mouse.
Having just jumped on the Twitter bandwagon (barely catching it as it sped by my old-fashioned self), I’m still learning how to “tweet” — and even what “tweeting” means. Twitter’s attempt to register TWEET as a trademark with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office is a good old-fashioned lesson, though, on the word game that is the federal trademark application process and why you should consider consulting a lawyer before assuming that, just because you’ve thought of the greatest trademark since COCA-COLA, you can use it risk-free and register it without a hitch.
Yikes, all! The good news is I’ve been practicing what I preach and applying some of my intellectual-property knowledge to my own life, as I pursue some lightbulb moments of my own. The bad news is I’ve failed to share any lightbulb moments in this blog! Today’s a short one, with more frequent contributions to follow. (I promise!)
Blogging seems as innocent as jotting down your daily musings in a diary. But with blogging, 1) you’re revealing those musings to the world, and 2) you’re inviting the world to muse along with you. Those important differences bring bloggers within the realm of…gulp…THE LAW.
I’ll be speaking on social-networking ethics this Wednesday, September 8, at the Americana Music Festival in downtown Nashville, if you want to join the conversation in person. In case you can’t make it, I thought I’d give you a sneak-peek with the following legal tips on social-networking for musicians and artists.
So, you’ve done it. You’ve created this thing, this good, perhaps something the average American consumer isn’t aware she needs yet, but once she sees it, oh, she’ll need it. Or perhaps you’ve started a business through which you offer a unique service — the product of hours of research and development.
If you’re like most of our clients, you have a great idea but may be a little confused on where to begin. We’re here to guide you! Click the link below to let us know how we can help.
