Does a contracted cameraman have rights to use footage if they aren't an employee of the company that they are hired by?

The answer to your first question is that it depends. For an original work to be a work for hire in an independent contractor situation, there has...

Can I create and sell a PDF that acts as an "aid" to a self help book?

This is a difficult question to answer from a copyright standpoint, without more information, including which self-help book you’re referring to...

Does a photographer have to give pictures to a client if they are going to not respect copyright laws?

While I agree with Paul, there could also be a copyright issue here. Very generally speaking, whoever creates a work owns it under U. S. copyright...

Based on the very limited facts you provided, no. Transformative use is a complicated legal concept in copyright law. It's one of the four factors...

Can I tell an artist that I have commissioned to not share the work I had them make for me?

I agree with my colleagues that if you have no written employment or work for hire agreement with the artist, that the artist owns the artwork...

HI, I made a short film about 4 years ago and I just saw a movie very similar to my film. Is there anything I can do?

To prove copyright infringement, the plaintiff must show two things—access to the allegedly infringed work and “substantial similarity” to it. An...

Do I have to change the business names?

I would need more detailed information regarding the similarity of the two marks to give you an accurate answer. However, generally speaking,...

Is it trademark infringement to screen print a singer's name band on a tshirt to sell? Font would be generic

There are a few issues here. If those band or singer's names were registered for trademark, you'd be in trademark infringement if you used them...

Can I print part of a song lyric that's a bit generic eg 'we built this city' on a shirt and how do I know if a phrase is copyri

I agree with David's and Walter's comments that short phrases often don't qualify for copyright protection because they're not considered "original...

What kind of lawyer handles User Agreements for web applications?

Posting your question on Avvo is a good place to look. I'd be happy to help you with this. I've been a digital media and IP lawyer for over 30...