Copyright Office Sings a Different Tune

Are you a musical artist looking to protect your work? If you’ve ever sought copyright protection of your songs before 2021, you may remember feeling the burn of paying to register each song individually. However, there was news early last year from the Copyright Office which can help ease the financial burden of protecting your … Read more

Quick (Kwik? Quik?) on the Draw

After moving to Wisconsin, I came to appreciate many things about Wisconsin culture, including the near-universal adoration of Kwik Trip. After a few visits to Kwik Trip, I realized that Kwik Trip was something I had experienced long before ever having been to Wisconsin. In my native state of Iowa, Kwik Trip had been present … Read more

Empowering Creatives to Know Their (Copy)Rights

            For creative people, copyright is a powerful concept. US law gives authors of fixed works with some element of creativity rights over their own creations, be they literary works, works of visual art, etc. This right allows the authors of these works to decide who is allowed to copy their work, and how, amongst … Read more

Trademark and Product Placement

Product placement, by which I mean the placement of branded products in films and TV shows, is a prevalent feature in media. As a viewer, I appreciate when product placement is used (in admittedly rare instances) to drive the plot. As a trademark attorney (since I can’t seem to turn it off), I appreciate the … Read more

The Information Desk Is Two Way

At the first meeting with a potential client, they often (somewhat shamefacedly) say, “I’m not really sure if I need a trademark or copyright or something else. I guess that I don’t know the difference.”  They say it like of course, they should know the difference. Why wouldn’t they know? I mean everyone but them … Read more

Our Favorite Holiday: Public Domain Day!

On January 1, 2022, copyrighted works from 1926 will enter the US public domain.  That means that anyone can copy, share, and build upon that work, but it doesn’t mean the public can do the same for things that are already derived from the original.  What do I mean by that?  Well, the first Winnie-the-Pooh … Read more

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