Questions generally regarding rights of distribution and attribution of intellectual property.
17
votes
7answers
866 views
What can you do when someone blatantly plagiarizes an entire blog post?
It's nice when folks quote parts of your post with a link back. It's another thing when the entire RSS entry is duplicated verbatim, including my "Retweet" buttons and the "Please leave a comment" ...
11
votes
8answers
863 views
Software Licensing/Copy Protection - DIY or Buy?
As an ISV/software publisher, would you produce your own licensing/copy protection solution, or would you buy into a professional solution?
Which route would you choose and why?
9
votes
4answers
2k views
Is it legal to copy a user interface?
Is it a copyright infringement to copy a user interface? I'm not talking about the specific graphics, but the layout and the way users interact with the application.
For example, Blippy's UI seems ...
7
votes
4answers
2k views
Legal implications of cloning a board game
I want to build an electronic version of an existing popular board game that will use the same game mechanic and follow similar rules, but without requiring a physical board to play or any of the ...
6
votes
1answer
263 views
Our client wants ownership of the code + no competition clause, but we need to re-sell this program in order to make money. How do we compromise?
TL;DR: "A client contracts us to build the engine for Warcraft I, does client have right to stop us using the same engine for let's say.... Skyrim?" (No contracts have been signed YET)
Actual ...
6
votes
2answers
140 views
How do I know if I am infringing on a Copyright or Patent?
Im looking to create a small start up at home making bicycle accessories but I have no clue if I would be infringing on any copyright and or patents in doing so.
How Do I know if my Company name is ...
5
votes
4answers
282 views
Should I move forward with my idea if it is similar to someone else's?
I have two ideas for websites that basically take the same idea as some other site, but make that idea better. Kinda like Myspace being plowed by Facebook. I had the ideas on my own, but then I did ...
5
votes
4answers
808 views
It is possible to startup a sucessful software company without being a programmer?
the idea is simple. How to execute, i don't know.
I have an idea for a software. Very good and simple idea, and I think it's simple to execute too. This software can bring to life a new company. I ...
5
votes
6answers
256 views
Do I own my article if I was not compensated by publishers?
I have been writing for a long time and my work has been published across many websites. But one thing that remained common is that I was never compensated by any of these websites anytime. Now, do I ...
5
votes
2answers
150 views
Is this an ethical use of other peoples' content?
I am planning to create a website that will curate selected posts from around 30 blogs in a specific niche and organize them into a detailed hierarchy that makes it very easy for visitors to access ...
4
votes
4answers
383 views
what are the legal ramifications of an android app that uses third party music?
I was thinking of creating an Android game/app that plays a soundtrack from a movie, and prompts you to guess what movie it is from. My question is: what are the legal ramifications of an app like ...
4
votes
4answers
230 views
Is copying facts a copyright infringment?
I work on a website that is backed by a database with a lot of product information. Much of this information is user generated.
I would like to know if there are any copyright issues around crawling ...
4
votes
1answer
232 views
Copyrighting jokes?
I have an app that is essentially a game, but is based off different riddles. So the riddles are pretty much jokes with funny answers, and all are original. My questions is: is it possible to ...
4
votes
2answers
178 views
Copyright/IP of sudokus
I have recently learned how to do constraint processing and I figured out how to generate sudoku puzzles. I thought it would be interesting/fun to create an interactive website for these puzzles. I ...
4
votes
4answers
327 views
How sustainable is a website that uses stolen images?
I would like to start a website where people can discuss whatever they please. They will be allowed to upload images of the topic they're talking about. For example, a user writes a review on the ...
4
votes
4answers
470 views
Is my own made website automaticly copyrighted or do I have to register it some where?
Is my own made website automatically copyrighted or do I have to register it some where? For example if someone copies my content how can I claim it it was myself? How can I open a case ?
4
votes
3answers
271 views
How do you prove a computer-generated work was independently generated by you?
This question is related to one of my earlier posts about the ability to copyright sudokus. I have written a program that generates sudokus and I want to make a website with these sudokus. It seems ...
4
votes
3answers
5k views
Is it legal to display album art and artist images on my website?
I'm working on a music review website and I was wondering what the legality was of displaying album art and artist images on the site. Do I need permission from the labels/artists?
4
votes
2answers
2k views
How to get license rights for copyrighted images/themes?
How do I go about licensing material for use on t-shirts? For example, pac-man on a shirt. What is a typical licensing arrangement fee structure? If the company you are looking to license an image ...
3
votes
6answers
292 views
Former partner is illegally using my IP
I've noticed a former potential partner of mine is using a logo, website design, and company description/mission that I created and retain full ownership of.
Should I just send a simple email ...
3
votes
3answers
362 views
Creative solution for copyright infringement by UK university
This question is sort of a follow up to:
Creating non-profit startup from open-source software project
Selling using the honor system
Basically, I'm selling software on the honor system for $5 to ...
3
votes
3answers
546 views
Can you modify code under the MIT Open Source licence?
I'm considering building an community over Pinax. The out-of-the-box functionality covers maybe 60% of what we need to do. We're more than happy to debug and support the base code set but need to keep ...
3
votes
1answer
90 views
Licensing a compiler which outputs code of a pre-existing programming language
This is a cross-post from stackoverflow; I was told you guys might be more knowlegable in this area...
I have an idea for a project which, ideally, I would like to eventually make money from.
...
3
votes
2answers
159 views
How do you get a copyright on your web pages?
If I were to release a web app what is the procedure to procuring a copyright on it?
3
votes
2answers
190 views
Copyright infringement issue google play (An android app)
Today I received a mail from Google which state that your app has been removed from Google play due to copyright infringement. The person who register this copyright issue is a person who run his non ...
3
votes
4answers
199 views
How to collect data for new web site
I am about to start a question/answers site related to different topics. I have data collected from downloads/online article/people etc.
But i am not sure
Is it legal to extract question/small ...
3
votes
3answers
158 views
Copyright of web sites
If I wanted to make a website similar to an existing one, how do I know that I'm not breaking its copyright?
For example, how do I find this out for a website such as Facebook?
3
votes
2answers
145 views
Copyright Issues With Creating “Social Search Engine”
I want to create a "social search engine" website. The idea is for people to search for jobs (or articles, or recipes -- I am necessarily targeting jobs), and be able to view them on my site, comment ...
3
votes
1answer
199 views
Example of Agreement (template) with Company for doing stuff in spare time
According to related topic:
If I'm working at a company, do they have intellectual property rights to the stuff I do in my spare time?
(and related : Intellectual Property and Side-Projects in ...
3
votes
1answer
180 views
Is it “fair use” to refer to names of celebrities/cartoon characters in a game?
We have a game that requires players to refer to a list of celebrity and/or cartoon characters by name. The names simply show up in print alone, along with a short, original description of the entity.
...
3
votes
1answer
142 views
Will naming my website like this be a case of copyright infrigment?
I want to create a website for a particular industry. There is a term that is used quite widely in the industry - for the sake of argument, lets say the expression is "great scott". The term is used ...
3
votes
2answers
215 views
Software copyright after dissolution
I was part of a joint venture that is in windup mode. The software was mostly a compilation of open source software. No patents filed or anything like that. However, the lawyer is selling assets which ...
2
votes
2answers
345 views
Ownership of logo design
I am incapable (artistically) of designing a logo for my startup. If I offer to pay someone to create it for me, do I own the intellectual property rights to the logo? Are there any other steps I ...
2
votes
2answers
385 views
Copyright law concerning Star Wars
I want to make wooden puzzles out of Star Wars characters and sell them on Etsy. Would this be considered a violation of copyright? They would not be explicitly stated as Star Wars puzzles but I ...
2
votes
2answers
569 views
How do I protect my idea before launching my web-service?
I have a unique idea about a web-service.
How do I protect against duplicating my idea before launching?
I'm afraid I'd end up rivaling against massive number of competitors like Groupon does now.
I'm ...
2
votes
3answers
2k views
Does someone violate copyright laws when quoting song lyrics?
I know there are tons of sites out there that list song lyrics that are surrounded with advertisements and pop up ads. I don't imagine the song writers had this in mind when they were writing their ...
2
votes
2answers
101 views
Copyrighting an already existing name that is not copyrighted before
My friend runs a website called XYZ.com but hasnt copyrighted the name XYZ. I would want to use XYZ as the name of my startup too and would like to copyright it this time. Do i have to ask him ...
2
votes
4answers
210 views
Code Copyrighted
What's the deal if you are:
The only technical person on your start up / and or the one doing programming.
Haven't made a penny 'on-the-books' in terms of your startup
Is the code you write on your ...
2
votes
4answers
265 views
Approach copyright holders to licence IP for my game
I built an electronic version of a popular board game. I got some good responses on avoiding legal issues, but I went ahead and built it anyway, keeping it private for obvious reasons. Everyone who ...
2
votes
4answers
407 views
Is it ok to aggregate headlines and republish them?
I have an idea for a web app that will target to a specific audience and will collect news and blog articles, analyze them (for keywords, trending topics and more) and then display the article ...
2
votes
3answers
185 views
New Website - Protecting It
We're starting up a new website. We already have the domain registered and we are going to begin development ASAP. We are going to hire someone to put together a logo for us as well as a front end ...
2
votes
2answers
232 views
What is required for an idea(website) to be eligible for copyright?
Is a prototype considered a business that can be owned and protected?
instead of having nothing to offer(an idea) I'd have a business to offer so I can hire people
2
votes
2answers
160 views
Protection from Followers & Copy Cats
My new company will revolutionize an industry and merge few others, its all about market 'POSITIONING'. My product is media. I will certainly have many followers asap.
How do I protect my unique ...
2
votes
2answers
93 views
Having a license to your product instead of owning it?
Contracted a developer to build a product. Contract was and we were halfway through the project before we had it in hand (realized mistake there, moving on....) We were under the impression that we ...
2
votes
2answers
131 views
Would this idea violate any law?
The idea is this :
My website would just embed videos from various websites like youtube, metacafe, etc.
I want to have users log in and comment or discuss on the videos I embed.
The purpose is ...
2
votes
4answers
252 views
Should I use my company's IP?
I've been working for a company as a contractor for several months. While working for this company, I created some seriously sensitive IP. This is IP that is nigh on patentable.
My employment with ...
2
votes
2answers
395 views
Copyright or trademark infringement on web site name
I'm about to place a site I've built live and looking at registering a domain name.
Is there anything I need to worry about in picking a name?
If my domain name is a misspelling of another domain ...
2
votes
2answers
89 views
How does copyright work when there are more than one copyright holders?
I am working on a project that will make use a series of educational videos shot in the '80's. While reviewing one of the videos I came across a copyright notice that lists two copyright holders. It ...
2
votes
1answer
211 views
How Should I Deal With Intellectual Property
Intellectual property is a subject that has far reaching implications for your business. There are several different types of intellectual property that every business deals with. They include: ...
2
votes
3answers
92 views
Copyright/Trademark issues on Computer/Tablet/Phone accessories
My wife and I are starting a small business to create hand made cases for laptop/tablet/phones etc. We're curious about the legalities of buying fabric that's pre-printed with logos of lets say ...
