As attorneys whose practice has emphasized providing services to the creative arts and artists, we have spent many years not only helping clients to protect their rights and ownership in their creative property or business marks, but, just as importantly, to exploit the full commercial uses and potential behind their property. Copyrights and trademarks fall under the category collectively known as Intellectual Property. Copyright affords the creative individual exclusive protection for their original artistic work no matter what it is, as long as it can be set forth in some form of “fixed” medium. Trademarks not only identify goods, services and products but also build-up good will and public expectations that become associated through a product’s bearing an identifiable mark. With issues currently facing the worldwide digital market place, whether they be matters of peer to peer file sharing through cloud mobility, or something as simple as trademark “knockoffs”, the necessity for protection is more important and far reaching than ever before. Our firm has lead successful trademark and copyright infringement cases in subject matters ranging from menswear to software. Further, we have helped clients exploit and “monetize” extensive product lines by negotiating licensing agreements for companies such as Gloria Vanderbilt Home Furnishings, and have negotiated option/publishing/recording agreements for countless book, music, film, and theater rights deals. Registration and filing with the federal government is a first important step to protecting your intellectual property. For example, legally, an individual has an automatic copyright to their work, the minute they put “pen to paper”; however, these rights cannot be enforced without filing for a copyright for that work with the Library of Congress. But, beyond this, in order make the most out of your creative efforts, there is a great deal of planning that must take place and that is what we, as practitioners, are here to help guide you through.

For further reference please check our Resources page for links to the Library of Congress (copyrights) or the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (trademarks).