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Questions tagged [intellectual-property]

For questions concerning the ownership of ideas, designs and creative work. Specific IP tags include copyright, trademark, and patents.

In some jurisdictions there is recognition of database rights.

Canonical answers:

1080 questions
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Is there a legal reason why fictional shows use imitation brand names?

Often, when I watch TV shows, I'll see or hear about an imitation of a real brand name. As an example, here is a parody of Walmart from The Simpsons The store in the picture is unambiguously supposed to represent Walmart. They're even using…
Sam I am says Reinstate Monica
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If I wrote code for a personal project, and use some of it in a program at my company, can they now sue me for using the code in my personal project?

Let's say I developed a web app for a personal endeavour of mine. Soon after, I get a job with a tech company, and my first task is to develop a web app for them. Well, it turns out the functionality of this new company web app is similar to my…
user3163495
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Law on selling self-made electronic devices

if I make a microcontroller or any electronic device and it has LEDs, it is not me who created these LEDs, I bought them, even chosen for the pack of transistors that I bought on Amazon, so if I want to market a device that uses these LEDs and…
user41501
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Is it illegal to "sell" a pro golfer's swing?

Say I use three cameramen to record a pro golfer's swing at a public event in order to subsequently digitize the path of the swing in 3-space. Say I then program a baton (like a Wii remote or a smart phone taped to a golf club) to vibrate and/or…
Witness Protection ID 44583292
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Usage of a gun's design

I am developing a game, and will be using guns in my game, I just am unsure of a few things. From what I understand, I need written permission to use the name of a gun due to the name being IP, but what about the gun's actual design? If I were to…
Jayden Miller
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General Foundation for Understanding IP Law?

This seems to be a recurring problem, both on this site and elsewhere, and including my own questions. Lots of specific-detail-type problems that may seem like that's all they are on their own, but their proliferation and aggregate theme suggest to…
AaronD
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Can a contract bind you to signing other agreements in the future?

I recently had an IP contract be sent to me, and the following term is putting me off guard: (The Participant) upon request, shall promptly sign all instruments and agreements and perform any action .... Does this entail that the corporation can…
michmich
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Proprietary data formats: When converting to another format, when is it no longer proprietary?

I am an architect on a redesign of an old software system into a new system. One of the big problems of this older vendor based system is that it only communicated out on its interfaces in the vendors proprietary format. Many other systems and…
maple_shaft
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If a software concept is discussed on the job, does the software company own the concept?

A few years ago I worked for a software company and we discussed several hundred different ideas for software, but never did any kind of testing or prototyping, we simply discussed the ideas. In other words, there's no identifiable embodiment of any…
BeachRunnerFred
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Can you trademark a proper noun from a work of fiction?

We were just having a discussion whether Lush's naming of a mouthwash as "Pan Galactic Gargle Blaster" is benefiting from the popularity of the Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy series, which led to the intellectual property concerns behind this. My…
Rikki
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Is it illegal to publish a screenplay of a movie without the copyright holder's permission?

Is it legal to publish screenplays of popular movies online? I've seen other websites doing it, but I am not sure if it is illegal or not.
previous_developer
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Legality surrounding reverse engineering protocols?

I want to make a product (call it A) compatible with another proprietary product (B). So if I take product B and then reverse engineer the protocol by watching network traffic, I could produce a document describing the protocol. Then, lets say I…
bodangly
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How much of a codebase can be considered intellectual property?

If you write some code, generally you or your employer 'own' that code (I won't go into who 'owns' open source code because it's not what I'm talking about). It's yours/theirs to do with what you please. But at what point can you reasonably say…
leylandski
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Is it legal for a company to put on their website a picture of my work I sent to them when applying for a job?

I was applying for a landscaping job so I sent images of work I had done, and without my permission he added that photo to his website. This work is not affiliated with his landscaping company whatsoever. Is this illegal?
user37289
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How can i compete legally with the large firms in the below mentioned scenario?

I am from India and when i did some research i found out that there are some big and well established companies in the field of windmill installation for electricity generation like Vestas India, GE Wind Energy Ltd.etc. I have developed a product…
tank12
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