Let's talk trademarks.
A trademark application requires proof of use, showing that we are actually using the trademark in business. We call this proof of use a “specimen”. The specimen can be a tricky part of the application and we see bad specimens trip up applications all the time. So it's really important to get that part right!
Need help with your application? Give us a shout at info@creativelawnetwork.com
Happy Holidays! Our offices will be closed on December 26 and January 2. We look forward to working with you in 2023!
Our client Two Tails Story Co. is doing great work with their award-winning early learning books starring real rescue dogs Hoover and Milo!
Their alphabet and counting books are being distributed through multiple children’s literacy organizations to classrooms across Colorado.
The Alphabet With Milo has won Mom’s Choice Awards and National Parenting Product Awards.
Check them out for the young learners and dog lovers in your life! Shop here.
When we register a trademark, we register it in connection with specific products and services. Every product and service fits into a class or classes and these classes are maintained by the Trademark Office. Every trademark application and registration must identify the products and services as well as the class(es) that the trademark is used in connection with.
If you have any questions or needs around registering a trademark, don't hesitate to reach out via email at: info@creativelawnetwork.com or by giving us a call at: (720) 924-6529
Looking to learn more about leveraging intellectual property? Dive into licensing 101 right from your couch with Dave's recent presentation from Denver Startup Week.
This video will guide you through the basics of a licensing agreement, explain the difference between various licensing concepts and terms, and offer tips to protect and optimize your intellectual property in the marketplace.
Megastars like Bruce Springsteen and Bob Dylan have recently made waves with nine-figure catalog acquisitions. But the vast majority of musicians still don’t have a straightforward way to turn their creative efforts into financial assets. This session will outline how to navigate copyright law and the music industry to help your clients make informed decisions about how to best leverage their music catalogs.
Our Dave Ratner will be moderating a panel for The Colorado Bar Association on Thursday (9/22) from noon-1p. The panel will feature Gary Young (CEO) and Rob Bernhard (Corporate Counsel) from Royalty Exchange, a Denver-based marketplace for buying and selling music royalties. Since 2015, Royalty Exchange has facilitated more than 1,500 transactions totaling over $120 million in royalty deals for creatives.
Sign up to attend: Six Secrets Session
Exclusive vs. non-exclusive? In perpetuity vs. time-limited? Worldwide? Royalties? Licensing is one of the primary ways creative entrepreneurs can leverage and monetize their content or products. This Denver Startup Week workshop, led by our Dave Ratner, will guide participants through the basics of a licensing agreement. It will explain the difference between various licensing concepts and terms, as well as tips to protect and optimize your intellectual property in the marketplace.
Register here to join us on Monday, September 19th!
An increase in the mechanical royalty rate has been proposed. Major record label members of the Recording Industry Association of America, members of the National Music Publishers Association and the Nashville Songwriters Association International reached an agreement on the increase and presented a motion to the Copyright Royalty Board. The proposals increases mechanical royalties related to physical products, downloads, ringtones, and music bundles. A mechanical royalty is a royalty earned through the mechanical reproduction of a copyrighted musical work.
The proposed change will be an increase from 9.1 cents per track to 12 cents per track, an increase of 32%! This would be the first major increase in mechanical royalties since 2008. If approved by the Copyright Royalty Board, this change will go into effect in 2023 and will run through 2027. The rate increase will also automatically index to the consumer price index, meaning that the rate could be adjusted each year at the same rate as inflation. The rate increase would mark a big win for songwriters and publishers who have long argued that creators are not compensated fairly for their contributions to a song or recorded work. This comes at a great time in the music industry as physical sales of vinyl and CDs are making a comeback and have been steadily increasing over the last few years.
So what’s next? The Copyright Royalty Board, which is a three member panel of copyright royalty judges who determine rates and terms for copyright statutory licenses and royalties, will review the proposal and approve or deny the increase. Stay tuned! If you have any questions about how this may impact you, or anything else about music or copyrights, please reach out to us at Creative Law Network!
Thanks to Law Week Colorado for highlighting the work we do with Colorado Attorneys for the Arts and the Colorado Business Committee for the Arts.
Read the article here.
We love to support our clients and can't get over how cool the Pop Up Pop Art Collection from Poposition Press x The Andy Warhol Foundation looks! This collection includes two pop up book editions, four greeting cards and a giant Banana paper sculpture. Don’t miss the presale, happening now at https://popositionpress.com
