If a person has something that he or she wants to register the copyright for in California, then it is important that he or she chooses the correct category to file under. Performance arts, as defined by the U.S. Copyright Office, is one option that a person has if the piece is something intended to be performed for an audience. There is a range of different pieces that could fall under this category, including dances, podcasts, screenplays, dramatic readings, sound effects, audiobooks and comedy routines.
Performance arts and copyrights
Trademark dilution
California owners of trademarks have specific rights that are afforded to them under the laws of the United States. These rights protect the owners from having their marks used by others. According to the National Paralegal College, dilution is when the value of a trademark is lessened due to someone other than the owner using it.
What is patent assignment?
A patent is considered personal property in California, and as such, you can transfer its ownership to another person. According to the United States Patent and Trademark Office, this transfer of ownership is called patent assignment. You have the ability to assign ownership of part of your patent or all of it to someone else as long as it is done in writing and recorded with the USPTO within three months. This document must also be witnessed by an approved official.
What is the Defend Trade Secrets Act?
If your California-based company has trade secrets, then you understand the importance of laws that protect this type of intellectual property. What makes a trade secret special is that it must be kept secret in order to retain the legal protection you are awarded for it. If even one person tells someone else, then your protections are lost. The American Bar Associations notes that while state laws have been enacted to help you prevent someone from spilling your trade secrets and to punish anyone who does so knowingly, which is called misappropriation, these laws are not consistent across all states.