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Law Stack Exchange

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:

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At what point is uploading a movie with heavy compression not copyright infringement?

My friend recently linked me a GIF of the entire Shrek movie in 60x60 resolution. At the time of writing this, it has 12 million views on imgur. This got me thinking, could a copyright holder technically sue over the uploading of this GIF? I'm…
MarcusOtter
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Can UPS really trademark the color brown?

So, today as I received an email from UPS, I read the disclaimer at the end and it said: © 2016 United Parcel Service of America, Inc. UPS, the UPS brandmark, and the color brown are trademarks of United Parcel Service of America, Inc. All rights…
Délisson Junio
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Could I write a "Parry Hotter" novel?

There is a question over at the Writing SE which was wondering whether J. K. Rowling would consent to somebody writing a Harry Potter sequel. The answer was, predictably in hindsight, "you would never be able to give her a letter, and even if, she…
Peter - Reinstate Monica
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Is it legal for a train company to create an art gallery using photographs of the graffiti on their locomotives and train cars?

I have been wondering that since a train company owns its locomotives and train cars, then I am assuming that this means that they own any graffiti that has been painted on their locomotives and train cars. I have recently read that it is illegal…
user39281
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6 answers

If my electronic devices are searched, can a police officer use my ideas?

On my phone, I have many different ideas for startups, books, and other creative endeavours. Most of them are probably (or certainly) worthless, but a few have some potential. As I understand it, these ideas aren't protected by intellectual…
personwithideas
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Lawyer says bumping software’s minor version would cost $2k to “refile” copyright paperwork. Is this typical?

I work at a small company as a software engineer. I have very little knowledge of copyright law, so forgive me for my naïveté. Recently, my company started filing paperwork and handing over several versions of our application’s source code to a…
maxathousand
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Can a significant change in incentives void an employment contract?

Recently over at The Workplace there was a question regarding an employee withholding valuable information that they developed in their spare time. According to their employment contract all intellectual property they develop, regardless of work…
Summer
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What is the legal distinction between watching a YouTube video in a browser and downloading it for personal use?

If the act of watching a YouTube video creates a temporary download in my internet cache, why is it illegal to use an app that intercepts the YouTube API to download music videos to listen to later when I don't have internet? When people buy a CD or…
MelodySkirata
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Is simple possession of a copyright-infringing item legal in the USA?

There are quite a few laws in the USA (mostly at the Federal level) governing copyright and how to handle infringement. Most of these laws seem to establish criminal and/or civil liability for the act of copying rather than simple possession. So, my…
Robert Columbia
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Is downloading YouTube videos legal?

I've always been under the assumption that doing such was illegal. I don't see any difference between downloading music from YouTube and downloading music from The Pirate Bay. Apparently, there is this Software Recs SE question that talks precisely…
BCLC
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Prove my work is not a trade secret violation

I have recently developed a medical software application. One of my previous employers X (from 4 years ago) sells a similar application. (You can see where this is going.) X is now alleging that I might have stolen the code and created my own…
user559788
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How can saying a song's name be a copyright violation?

I received an E-mail newsletter inviting me to watch a chorus perform several songs that were arranged for this occasion. They are also selling tickets, so I don't know if half of the profit is sent to the publishers for having performed those…
The Harmonic Rainbow
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Is it legal to intentionally wait before filing a copyright lawsuit to maximize profits?

Let's say someone uses my intellectual property without my consent and uses it for commercial purposes. Can I wait until they've made many millions of dollars off of my work, so that I can sue and take a large portion of or all of that money? This…
Some Guy
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What is the state of intellectual property when the owner goes bankrupt?

A company makes a great game called "AwesomeGame" that costs 20€. They sell thousands of copies of the game, but ultimately go bankrupt. What is the status of the game at that point? Do any intellection-property rights or protections of it still…
Fortune
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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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