Is it common for companies to claim rights over a screen-name used on their service?

The above answer is a good one. There is another twist. Assume you use as a screen name a term that is actually your service mark. You might...

Can you help a group of fraud victims?

Contact you state attorney general or the Federal Trade Commission. Consumer protection laws (it isn't intellectual property from what I read)...

Does someone violate the copyright law (DMCA) when they take your letter & post it online w/o your permission ?

You might have recourse. It will depend on the date and contents. There are cases protecting really old, unpublished letters, and there likely...

The above answers are good ones. You want to retain a trademark lawyer to provide you with an opinion on whether your proposed mark and services...

The above answer is a good one. ASCAP/BMI licenses only permit the performance of what is licensed by ASCAP/BMI. Buy sheet music for a licensed...

If someone breaks a rule by posting something on Craigslist that is expressly not allowed, does that constitute a false or..?

You have some incorrect concepts in mind that probably should be addressed by a lawyer familiar with California law and in a position to advise you...

If you use someone's name or likeness for commercial purposed you are violating their right of publicity. You don't describe something that...

Trademarks for nction to identify the source of goods. Service marks identify the source of services. If you provide goods or services in...

If there is a breach of contract how will you prove who is bound by the contract? It is best, if not required, that the contract be enforceable...

May I advertise that my literary creation is "inspired" by a piece of literature that's still in the public realm?

If you advertise that way, aren't you admitting that your literary creation is a derivative work and therefore infringing the copyright? Even if...