Need help protecting copyright and trademark for new board toss games. Not yet. I have logo, game rules. Product in

Expert's Assistant chat
Customer: Need help protecting copyright and trademark for new board toss games
JA: Is the trademark federally registered?
Customer: not yet
JA: Have you talked to a lawyer? What documentation do you have?
Customer: no. I have logo, game rules. Product in testing with schools, universities and new websites (as of last week)
JA: Is there anything else the Lawyer should know before I connect you? Rest assured that they'll be able to help you.
Customer: I guess the problem is just how much “protection can I afford “ as a retired inventor ( 5 Patents ) with limited funds to get things going again….
Answered by Attorney Wendy in 5 mins 6 months ago
imglogo
Attorney Wendy
10+ years of experience
logo

33682 Satisfied customers

Expert in: Family Law, Legal, Estate Law, Real Estate Law, Criminal Law, Employment Law, Business Law, Consumer Protection Law, Bankruptcy Law, Traffic Law, Personal Injury Law.

logoBack
logologo
Attorney Wendy
logo
logo
33682 Satisfied customers
logo
10+ years of experience
imglogo
Attorney Wendy
10+ years of experience
logo

33682 Satisfied customers

Jessica

Jessica

Consultant

31,131 Satisfied customers

Pearl avatar
Lawyer's, Assistant
116 Lawyers are online right now.
img

Attorney Wendy, Expert

Hello. My name is***** know legal questions can be stressful and often complicated. As an attorney with nearly 25 years of experience, it is important for me to understand the details of your situation so I can be sure to provide the best information I can for you. Once I provide a response, you are welcome to reply back with any further questions on this issue. Do note that I am a licensed attorney, but may not be in your jurisdiction; so I can only provide general legal information for educational purposes. If you choose to take legal action, you should consult an attorney licensed to practice in your state.

I am reviewing your question now and I may have some follow-up questions for you. Once I get the information I need, it may take me a few minutes to prepare a thoughtful and complete response. I thank you in advance for your patience.

I do hope that you find the site helpful and I look forward to assisting you today.

img

Attorney Wendy, Expert

I understand wanting to consider what may be the best way to use limited funds to get the most protection for these games.  In the places you are having these products tested, did you get those involved to sign agreements protecting your rights/recognizing your rights to the intellectual property?

Customer
No.. but it’s schools and universities I have dealt with for years. Do I need a attorney (1) practicing copyright, trademark & patents. (2) in my local area. (Oregon)
img

Attorney Wendy, Expert

Consulting an intellectual property attorney in your area would be one way to get a thorough analysis of what protections are best and to get them done properly.

That said, registering copyrights can be relatively straightforward and some people actually decide to handle that part on their own.  You can learn about that process here:  https://www.copyright.gov/registration/

Trademarks can be more complicated, depending on whether there are any similar marks already registered.  If you are seeking to register a name and logo together that can often be easier in terms of proving to the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office that your mark in its entirety is unique and also can be protected (in other words, is not too generic or otherwise not the type of mark that can be protected).

Trademark registration can be more expensive, depending on how complicated the mark is and how much research an attorney needs to do to put together an application most likely to get protection.

I will send you a link with more information about trademarking in the U.S. in just a minute.

img

Attorney Wendy, Expert

https://www.uspto.gov/trademarks

Thank you again for using JustAnswer. I hope this information helps. It has been my pleasure to assist you. Please let me know if there is any part of your question I failed to answer. If you need additional assistance with this issue, feel free to reply to this message. I am always happy to answer any follow-up questions you have to ensure that you are fully satisfied.

Do note that I am away from my computer from time to time. So, don’t be concerned if I do not respond right away to a follow-up question; I will most certainly respond as soon as those questions come to my attention. And, you can always specifically request my assistance, “Attorney Wendy,” with any future legal questions.

JustAnswer also provides experts in other areas, including medical, veterinary, mechanical, and more should you ever have questions on those topics. Thank you for trusting me to answer your question and for using the JustAnswer site.

Please note: This information is for educational purposes only and is not legal advice. No course of action is being proposed and no attorney-client relationship or privilege has been formed as a result of this conversation.

Customer
I have been down this road before. I done the research and these rules and logo they are unique and nothing like it on the internet or market. I already paid for the surches
img

Attorney Wendy, Expert

That is great.  It is possible to submit a trademark application yourself online.  If you were to decide to hire an attorney to do it for you that can cost a lot more but it also ensures the greatest chance of successful registration of the mark.

Customer
The problem is that Oregon only thresor four
Customer
The problem is that Oregon only has three or four law practices the work in that field. They are not interested in reviewing an application just want to sell
img

Attorney Wendy, Expert

Because trademark and copyright laws are federal, you can actually retain an attorney in any state to handle those matters.

Ask a lawyer and get your legal questions answered.
See all Legal Questions
img
Related Legal Questions
How it works
logoAsk for help, 24/7
Ask for help, 24/7
Members enjoy round-the-clock access to 12,000+ verified Experts, including doctors, lawyers, tech support, mechanics, vets, home repair pros, more.
logoExpert will respond in minutes
Expert will respond in minutes
After you reach out, we match you with an Expert who specializes in your situation. Talk, text, chat, whichever you prefer.
logoSave time & money
Save time & money
No scheduling hassles, missing time from work, or expensive consults.
A JustAnswer membership can save you significant time and money each month.
img
logo 593 Verified lawyers, 10+ years of experience
DISCLAIMER: Answers from Experts on Askalawyeroncall.com are not substitutes for the advice of an attorney. Askalawyeroncall.com is a public forum and questions and responses are not private or confidential or protected by the attorney-client privilege. The Expert above is not your attorney, and the response above is not legal advice. You should not read this response as proposing specific action or addressing your specific circumstances, but only to give you a sense of general principles of law that might affect the situation you describe. Application of these general principles to particular circumstances should be done by a lawyer who has spoken with you in confidence, learned all relevant information, and explored various options. Before acting on any information received from an Expert, you should hire a lawyer licensed to practice law in the jurisdiction to which your question pertains. The responses above are from independent, freelance Experts, who are not employed by Askalawyeroncall.com . The site and services are provided “as is”. To view the verified credentials of an Expert, click on the “Verified” symbol in the Expert’s profile. This site is not for emergency questions which should be directed immediately by telephone or in-person to qualified professionals. Please carefully read the Terms of Service.
Explore law categories
Powered by JustAnswer