Should I get a trademark before I register my business?

Of course a trademark clearance opinion is your starting point from a U.S. and international standpoint (though this sounds like a challenging...

Can I sue a national newspaper for plagiarizing my article?

Of course you could bring an action for copyright infringement, but it must go through a process before a determination can be made with regards to...

Must I trademark my business name to claim rights to a web site registered by a cybersquatter?

Congress was well aware of the issue relating to domain names and thus enacted the cyber-squatting statute, and courts have caught onto the notion...

I'm writing a script where I have several scenes that look like scenes from actual movies. Is that copyright infringement?

You probably need to change a lot as substantial similarity is part of the process for determining copyright infringement. Just because you change...

How do I avoid trademark / copy write infringement, using a film theme on an exhibit, at a conference?

Your best bet of course is to get permission and under U.S. Copyright law there may be something in the form of fair use, depending on the type and...

Copyright question. Can a logo be cut under the assumption the buyer has licensed right?

Well, if the buyer has the license rights to use it, then there is no trouble, assuming that they legally have a license to use it. If however that...

If I were to use a quote/phrase or an image outlined by nails and filled in using string, Would this fall under copyright?

You probably could, and of course this depends largely on the type of use, you must bear in mind that infringement does require a fair amount of...

Can I copyright a foreign or fictitious company name that I have been using to promote products for over the past 5 years?

It depends, and this largely depends on international IP policies. In some instances it may be possible, but if they are signatories to some treaty...

In some instances you could get damages if they are willful infringes and can under IP law claim double damages in different IP arenas. Your best...

After a married person dies, does copyright in the person's copyrighted work pass to their spouse in the absence of a will?

It depends whether the 1909 Act or 1976 Act applies, it may be the case that it does pass to the spouse in the absence of a will. Your best bet is...