Trademarks & Copyrights
Every business and brand (whether you are a business owner, athlete, music artist or influencer) has some type of intellectual property (IP) that needs protecting. However, with all the different laws and ideas floating around the internet, it can be very difficult to know exactly what needs to be protected and how best to keep it safe.Companies that specialize in certain industries may need to put a strong non-disclosure agreement in place before hiring a new employee or even interviewing one. Other businesses need to protect their brand name and logo through trademark law and licensing agreements. Artist and entertainment businesses often need to copyright their most valuable assets. You can do all of these things with the help of a skilled business attorney. Reach out to a Georgia trademark and copyright lawyer and take the necessary steps to protect your company.
What are the Different Forms of Intellectual Property Protection?
While the public often uses terms like “trademark” and “copyright” interchangeably, they refer to different ways of protecting your company’s work. Some of the most common forms of legal protection our firm deals with when it comes to intellectual property are trademarks, service marks and copyrights. Our firm does not handle patents, but we have attorneys in our network who do.Trademarks and Service Marks
Trademarks protect symbols, designs or phrases that visually distinguish one company’s product from another. Business owners typically trademark their logos and slogans. Service marks are similar to trademarks but are meant to distinguish services rather than goods.
Copyrights
A copyright is a legal designation that grants exclusive usage rights to the creator of an original work. Even if you protect all your vital pieces of intellectual property, you must safeguard your trade secrets. This type of valuable information cannot receive formal government protections.
TRADEMARK SEARCH AND REGISTRATION
Potter Law helps businesses and brands enhance and protect their competitive advantages through trademark registration applications, maintenance and policing. Contact us today to learn more about our trademark packages and services.Additional Trademark Services:
*These services made be chosen on an a la carte basis
- Trademark Maintenance;
- Trademark Watch Service;
- Office Action Response;
- Cease & Desist Letters
- Work Made for Hire Agreements
- Legal Strategy Session
- Trademark Licensing
- Purchase and/or Sale of a Trademark
- Co-Existence Trademark Agreement
How Might Someone Infringe Upon Your Intellectual Property Rights?
There are an infinite number of ways in which a third party could infringe upon your IP rights. While certain violations like stealing copyrighted material are obviously illegal under federal law, others can be a bit more complicated. For instance, a third-party company using vague language to skirt around trademarks is an example of trademark infringement.In our era, cybersquatting—buying Internet domains associated with certain trademarks and effectively holding them for ransom—has become an increasingly common method of IP infringement. It is also particularly difficult to combat. No matter what type of infringement your business is dealing with, an attorney familiar with IP can help you take effective action against it.
Legal Tactics to Combat IP Infringement
Many instances of infringement can be remedied with a cease-and-desist demand letter, private negotiations or third-party mediation. However, in some situations, you might have no other option than to pursue a lawsuit. With a successful IP infringement lawsuit, our local attorneys can help you seek remedies, such as:- Financial damages stemming from misuse of trademarked or copyrighted IP, as well as punitive damages in certain situations
- A court injunction against the infringing party
- Court-ordered destruction of the infringing material
- Reimbursement of attorney’s fees
Our legal team has the knowledge and resources to help you protect your brand and get the restitution your need.