As an author, I am curious about the law as it relates to book rentals.

The first sale doctrine means that an author is entitled to royalties only from the first sale of a hard copy of the book. The purchaser may...

The answers thusfar focus on trademark rights. A "logo" or drawing may also be copyrighted if it is fixed in a tangible medium of expression and...

How do I find out if an item is patented already?

The advice of my colleagues is a good start but but there are additional steps that you need to take to answer this question. Companies sometimes...

Is it legal to play an old video game online?

In addition to copyrights, there often are patents covering games like this and the systems on which they are played. I find it hard to understand...

Is it legal to use an illustration of government officials for commercial ads if I created the illustration?

No. Even if there is no copyright production, government officials are citizens who have common law rights of publicity. You would need a license...

Company property lost in a bar -- OK to sell it to the press?

I answered esssentially the same question a few minutes ago, and my answer to that question should be available for you to review. Bottom...

Is it illegal to keep a lost Iphone prototype? Can Gizmodo expose it?

Sounds like a 21st century version of the Pentagon Papers case, except as I recall, the New York Times didn't pay Daniel Ellsberg for the Pentagon...

Intellectual property

Copyright laws protect works (such poems) that are fixed in a tangible medium of expression (such as a book, film, web page, newspaper, etc.). All...

Trademark, Logo & company name

I am not entirely pessismistic about your ability to obtain trademark protection and copyright protection for your logo design. I still do not have...

Intellecual property infringement and penalties involved

Your question notes that the product that you sell does not compete with products of the trademark owner. This can be very important in deciding...