Copyright and Trademarks

The US founding fathers realized the importance of the necessary protection and addressed the rights in the U.S. Constitution:
"To promote the progress of science and useful arts, by securing for limited times to authors and inventors the exclusive right to their respective writings and discoveries"
(U.S. Constitution, Article I, Section 8)
Financial professionals need to protect their work. With the advent of the Internet, Copyright and Trademark issues are more significant than ever. The links on this page will assist in your protection efforts.
After creating original work, what is the classification? The following definitions will assist in your understanding of the protection needed.

Trademark/Service Mark ™...protects distinctive names, short phrases, logos or graphic designs (among other things) which are designed to distinguish goods and services provided by the owner of the mark. Examples are, Kodak, "Just do it" and the golden arches of McDonalds.
Copyright ©...protects original works of authorship such as works of art, motion pictures, literary works, including computer programs, musical compositions and other creations which are fixed in a tangible form.

Benedict Web Site : This is a very informative web site with good examples, including audio video examples. One section of the site deals specifically with Internet publishing issues. http://www.benedict.com/

Copyright Clearance Center, Inc. : This is a non-profit organization that assists individuals and companies comply with copyright laws. Members are eligible to register their work for others use and as a way to earn income. Companies may access material for use in a legal fashion. There are many links to international copyright web sits. http://www.copyright.com

Trademark Web TMWEB : Both American and Canadian Federal Trademark data bases are searchable through this web site. Tips on no cost searches are provided, and searches in additional countries are being added. https://www.tmweb.com/

U.S. Copyright Office General Information and Publications, Library of Congress : Both US and international information is provided on this site. The Internet and other forms of digital media is covered. Applications are downloadable. This is a must stop in your efforts to protect your intellectual property rights. http://lcweb.loc.gov/copyright/

U.S Patent and Trademark Database : Search the US database on the patent or trademark in question. You may want to do a search before you register a new domain name.
http://www.uspto.gov/patft/