There are many more ways in which to violate valuable trademark, copyright, and intellectual property rights these days. The Internet is hosting billions of articles, blog posts, advertisements, and more. It is within the abilities of any individual with a smartphone and Wifi to place their opinions, articles, or posts online at any time.
The traditional methods of trademark and copyright infringement are all still around, but the problems have been amplified by the Internet. Business owners work diligently to establish their brand and grow brand awareness. When their registered trademark is used illegally in some way, the damage can negate years of work and a lot of money.
Copyright infringement investigations can take many paths, and the Internet is where copyright is routinely infringed millions of times daily. Though often not as damaging as trademark infringement, copyright is protection for valuable intellectual property. Here’s what the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office has to say about them:
Trademark
A trademark is a word, phrase, symbol, and/or design that identifies and distinguishes the source of the goods of one party from those of others. A service mark is a word, phrase, symbol, and/or design that identifies and distinguishes the source of a service rather than goods. Some examples include brand names, slogans, and logos. The term “trademark” is often used in a general sense to refer to both trademarks and service marks.
Unlike patents and copyrights, trademarks do not expire after a set term of years.
Copyright
A copyright protects original works of authorship including literary, dramatic, musical, and artistic works, such as poetry, novels, movies, songs, computer software, and architecture. The duration of copyright protection depends on several factors. For works created by an individual, protection lasts for the life of the author, plus 70 years. For works created anonymously, pseudonymously, and for hire, protection lasts 95 years from the date of publication or 120 years from the date of creation, whichever is shorter.
Read more about Kimmons Trademark & Copyright Infringement Investigative services.