On My Mind Blog

Significant personal rights of attribution and integrity—distinct from rights under copyright—apply to some visual works of fine art. 

These are known as “moral rights” and they originated in France and Germany in the 18^th Century.  In the United States, these rights were recognized to some extent in various state and common law causes of action as well as in statutes enacted in California (in 1970) and in New York (in 1984).  In 1990, they were codified under federal law in the Visual Artists Rights Act (VARA).

The rules for using intellectual property as collateral can be counter-intuitive.

Recipe protection is rare but possible.

Parody involves copyright and trademark considerations.

When and how can a copyright assignment or license be terminated?

When, why and how you should conduct an IP audit.

Here is a simplified explanation of the mysterious Creative Commons license notices or icons you sometimes see with electronic or printed copyrighted material.

The fact that a work is old does not necessarily mean it is in the public domain.