Does the layout designer of a book own any rights in the book absent an agreement?

It really depends on your friend's creative input in preparing the layout for the book. Since she is not an employee, and you don't have a work...

What should I do in the present case? Can I publicly reveal the conversation I had by email?

It really depends on the editorial control you exert on your website and whether you qualify as a host under the DMCA. If you qualify, then you...

Can I quote a statement made in public on a t-shirt if I am making a parody of it?

You are probably OK to go! First you are making a political statement protected by the 2nd Amendment about a person running for Office. That...

Diminished Value equation approved by the US Copyright offices question.

Thank you for such an interesting question. The fact that the US Copyright Office approved your application for Copyright does not establish the...

Is it possible that a music artist from a different country would be able to sue an artist in the U.S for copy infringement?

Yes, by international treaty, you can be sued in the US for infringement of a foreign copyrighted song. You should retain an experienced...

How do I keep this from happening again?

I understand that you may be upset, but what you did is avoid a potential lawsuit and perhaps bankruptcy, after launching your company, marketing...

Is there a standard contract I could use to create an agreement between my company, an LLC, and the artist?

I'm sure there is, however, unless the contract is prepared and focused on your business and facts, it is not worth the paper it is written on. I...

A patent attorney has an obligation to keep his client's information confidential. There is even an attorney-client privilege in Court. The...

What is the next step to protecting my recipe?

Trade secret protection and a well written confidentiality and trade secrecy policy are one way of protecting your recipe. You should have your...

Can I sell the beat for x dollars but still copyright it to collect sync royalties?

If you sell the rights to the instrumental than you would assign the copyright, so it would no longer be yours. You can provide the producer with...