Copyright
Information
March 8TH, 2007
This
website and its content is Copyrighted by Scaredy Cat Films TM.
Questions about US Copyrights and what they cover can be answered
at the US Copyright web site at:
http://www.copyright.gov/
Briefly,
the following information explains how and why this web site is
Copyrighted. The following are excerpts from the US Copyright Web
Site:
What is copyright?
Copyright is a form of protection grounded in the U.S. Constitution
and granted by law for original works of authorship fixed in a
tangible medium of expression. Copyright covers both published
and unpublished works.
What does copyright protect?
Copyright, a form of intellectual property law, protects original
works of authorship including literary, dramatic, musical, and
artistic works, such as poetry, novels, movies, songs, computer
software, and architecture. Copyright does not protect facts, ideas,
systems, or methods of operation, although it may protect the way
these things are expressed.
When is my work protected?
Your work is under copyright protection the moment it is created
and fixed in a tangible form that it is perceptible either directly
or with the aid of a machine or device.
Do I have to register with your office to be protected?
No. In general, registration is voluntary. Copyright exists from
the moment the work is created. You will have to register, however,
if you wish to bring a lawsuit for infringement of a U.S. work.
Trademark
Information
March 8TH, 2007
The
name Scaredy Cat Films, its logo and use is a Trademark, and therefor
cannot be used by others. A trademark is a word, phrase,
symbol or design, or a combination of words, phrases, symbols or
designs, that identifies and distinguishes the source of the goods
of one party from those of others. The name and logo Scaredy Cat
Films has been in use by this organization since 2002.
Questions
about Trademarks and Patents can be answered at the United States
Patent and Trademark Office Web Site:
http://www.uspto.gov/index.html The
Trademark "Scaredy Cat Films" has not been registered with the
United States Patent and Trademark
Office, nor does it need to be to provide protection. The following
information from the US Patent and Trademark Office provides more
details:
Is registration
of my mark required?
No.
You can establish rights in a mark based on legitimate use of the
mark.
However, owning a federal trademark registration on the Principal
Register provides several advantages, e.g.,
- constructive
notice to the public of the registrant's claim of ownership of
the mark;
- a
legal presumption of the registrant's ownership of the mark and
the registrant's exclusive right to use the
mark nationwide on or in connection with the goods and/or services
listed in the registration;
- the
ability to bring an action concerning the mark in federal court;
- the
use of the U.S registration as a basis to obtain registration
in foreign countries;
- and the
ability to file the U.S. registration with the U.S. Customs Service
to prevent importation of infringing
foreign goods.
When
can I use the trademark symbols TM, SM and ®? Any time you
claim rights in a mark, you may use the "TM" (trademark)
or "SM" (service mark) designation to alert the public
to your claim, regardless of whether you have filed an application
with the USPTO. However, you may use the federal registration symbol "®" only
after the USPTO actually registers a mark, and not while an application
is pending. Also, you may use the registration symbol with the mark
only on or in connection with the goods and/or services listed in
the federal trademark registration.
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