I wrote a book to be published but my publisher hasn't worked on my book in 5 years and refuses to give me my money back.

This is a breach of contract matter and, as Mr. Ballard correctly points out, it is subject to the statute of limitations. Nonetheless, you should...

I have a patent question. Specifically about what makes a design proprietary and how much protection that grants.

The design could be "proprietary" if it is protected by a design patent, in which case the design has ornamental features that are novel and...

Does a famous person reserve copyright rights to photographs that they are in?

The copyright in a photograph belongs to the photographer. The fact that he is in the photograph does not give him the right to make copies of it....

Under what circumstances would a movie star's photo, wearing our product, be in the public domain?

Two issues arise: First, the photo is subject to a copyright, which is still valid (the term of a copyright is the lifetime of the author plus 70...

Is our company name (Spark Games) too similar to another (Spark Unlimited)?

There could be a problem if the other studio has senior rights in its mark also if the other studio has a registered trademark in the name. Other...

Can a teacher take my kindle and search through it. It doesn't have apps on it and only reads books.

The answer depends on the school's rules. If you bring an object onto school property, you are bound by its rules.

Generally, short phrases are not protectable unless they are used as trademarks. However, the commercial use (e.g., using the shirts as prizes...

Can I use a celebrities picture/ likeness on a shirt?

The worse case scenario is that your goods are seized, you pay damages that represent the economic harm experienced by the celebrity (which could...

How does Oxford English Dictionary get away with fair use on quotes?

Short phrases are not protected by copyright and, therefore, the use of isolated quotes is not an act of infringement.

Looking for help with online business copyright, trademark, logo, slogan rights, & intellectual properties rights also...

You need to ask a specific question. You can get help with these issues by contacting an intellectual property attorney in your area. There are...