Copyrights
We provide copy rights filing and infringment litigations for the territories of Malaysia, Singapore and other major economies.
Although copyrights are automatically accorded to a piece of work of music, a publication, an artistic work, or a software, the creator must be able to prove that he is the first creator. Otherwise, others who can prove likewise will be able to claim copyright status even though they are not the first creator. At PatentAgentip,you will be able to get help in copyrighting your piece of work with the relevant authorities so that others cannot rip or highjack your creation. People often assume that they have the copyright accorded to them automatically, but finds out later that someone else had beaten them to the finishing line! There are indeed plenty of pirates out there, so please take appropriate action before it is too late. Give us a thinker, click this link to send in your query now. A small effort goes a long way!
Are anti-piracy efforts getting more effective? Read more of the latest in anti-piracy here
When in court, we often hear from defending lawyers saying that “this case is without merit” in rebutting copyright infringement cases from overzealous copyright holders. Often enough, infringement is hard to prove in court, but nevertheless, in these trying times, anything goes, especially if the infringer is a big timer. An example is the recent lawsuit brought by Pony Inc. against Nike Inc. According to Pony Inc., Nike Inc. has infringed on Pony’s use of a purported “V” sign and a 'chevron' like image in their online advertising campaign for “V is for Victory”. Pony Inc., claimed that they had been using such slogan for thirty five years and the said infringements will cause confusion in the market!
There is of course no confusion in the consumer’s mind, but if you can get some buzz from bringing to court some big guys, pitting David against Goliah is a must read item, why not then? Still, interpreting copyright infringements is not an easy matter and is best handled by experienced intellectual property lawyers. But if you think someone else is ripping you off your efforts in broad daylight, and especially if that someone is a big guy at that, then by all means take appropriate litigation measures. When times are bad, stepping unto somebody’s toes will hurt real badly. In these respect, marketing guys will have to be sure that their campaigns are as original as can be. Having an intellectual property consultant to properly vet through the slogans used is vital to a problem free exercise.
Report-4/13/09
Hold someone’s copyright and you can get a bank loan on it?
With the passing of Michael Jackson, the story has come out that he had secured a large amount of bank loan amounting to $270 million dollars before 2000 just by pledging a collection of copyrights to music by other artists. It was a lucrative joint venture with Sony Corp’s Sony Music and together, both parties collected a large number of music rights including the Beatles, Neil Diamond and Bob Dylan among others. It was estimated that the collection was worth 1 billion dollars and Michael Jackson used it to pledge for the loans.
Unfortunately, Michael’s expenses were running wide at that time, and he reportedly was having problems paying off bills. There were reports that his debts even reached 500 over millions! But with his demise, a clearer picture will emerge as his estate's executor will have to come out in the open to present a report. To add to the mired picture, various parties are seeking rights of guardianship to his children, even as there have been unsubstantiated reports that Michael wasn’t the biological father! Anyhow, when the bigger picture emerges later, copyrights, and it’s potentials as a financial hedging instrument, will have added meanings.
July 3, 2009
How much the copyright industry contributes to the American GDP?
In a recent survey made by the International Intellectual Property Alliance (IIPA), the core copyright industries had contributed almost $900 billion or 6.5% of the American GDP. The period taken was from 2003 to 2007. The main industries involved are TV and film production, which accounted for $889 billion in contributions. The subsectors include music, publishers and software. Taken on the overall picture, the industry had contributed $1.53 trillion or 11% of the GDP. Based on salaries, this sector average $73,556, or about 29% higher than the American national average salary.
From the context of growth rates, it was doubled that of the real national figure. The survey was done to illustrate to the US government how important is the copyright industry towards its economy, and as a way to urge the government to further expand copyright protection policies both within and outside of America. The study methodology was based on the one used by World Intellectual Property Organization. However, in a counter view, the Computer & Communications Industry Association, which has championed a free and fair use of copyrighted materials, pointed out that using the same methodology, industries that depended on the fair usage framework had even contributed to a bigger sector of the economy.
July 23, 2009.
Even Presidents don’t know what copyrights are!
It is well known that EU countries are trying very hard to stem the flow of the Pirate Party into their countries, and most of them have good intellectual property laws in placed. However, in a recent revelation, the French President, Nicolas Sarkozy was found to have distributed about 400 copies of DVD’s that were illegally copied. Even though these copies were documentaries of his own self, there were illegally copied from a stack of officially produced disk due to the fact that the original disk were insufficient for distribution. Adding to the red faces, the original logo of the producer was substituted by one from the ‘Audiovisual of the Presidency of the Republic’, a government agency! Was it then an oversight or outright disregard for intellectual property rights? Maybe the Pirates have a point!
October 12, 2009.