Who has the right to give permission to make derivative works?

You need permission from the Copyright Owner. Start with the copyright notice in the book. You can also search the copyright office's...

I have a trademark question.

Not necessarily, depending on the specific goods that the other mark is being used to promote and the prevalence of other similar marks in the...

I know I can't sell an item I made with a Batman logo on it but can I trade it for a gift card

A trade for value would be the same as a sale. However, if this is not a commercial transaction, but with a friend or family member it is very...

Is it okay to use Barbies as characters in a short film?

Please Beware, Mattel is very protective of their Barbie estate. While your film may ultimately prove to be fair use, as discussed by my learned...

The copyright can only be in the name of the author or a Business, if it was a work made for hire. It can be transferred by assignment, or by a...

How can I find out if there are accounts opened in my name?

This is not an Intellectual property matter. It needs to be recatagorized.!

Can I commercial produce food from a (modified) recipe & say "adapted from" and give the name of the chef who wrote the recipe?

No that would violate the Chef's right of publicity. You will need his or her permission to use their names. For additional information, I...

What happens to a retirement account that was set up in my name fraudulently?

I don't know how this can be categorized under Intellectual Property! Sorry, I will make sure it is recatagorized. Call the police and FBI. This...

People I watch on YouTube are having copyright problems with things that are obviously fair use.

Fair use is only a defense that can be asserted in response to someone being sued for Copyright infringement. It is not a right that the...

For a New Years Eve party in a restaurant with a DJ, can a one time license be negotiated with the P.R.O.'s?

Yes the restaurant will have to obtain a license from the PRO for the event, only or for the year, depending on it's business objectives. If you...