Pearson Files Copyright Infringement Lawsuit against Former Partner Chegg

Pearson Files Copyright Infringement Lawsuit against Former Partner Chegg

Pearson Education (a British-owned education publishing company providing assessment services to students, schools, and corporations) has recently filed a Copyright Infringement lawsuit against its former partner, Chegg (an American education technology company). According to Pearson, Chegg infringed upon its copyright only after a few months following the end of the partnership between the two companies by selling answers to the end-of-chapter questions included in Pearson textbooks.

The lawsuit, filed in New Jersey’s District Court, looks forward to seeking unspecified damages, along with a court order that would restrain Chegg from using the answer sets from Pearson materials. Jonathan Band, a lawyer and an expert on the subject matter of Intellectual Property (IP), said in a statement delivered that the case in question could not only weaken Chegg but also have implications for all the study guides that are based on existing texts and stick to the general selection and arrangement of such texts.

As per various reports, over the past year, the subscription base of Chegg grew by 67%. Many students even attended online classes during the pandemic. Currently, the company owns a market capitalization of $11.1 billion and has 6.6 million users.

Pearson’s copyright infringement lawsuit includes 150 of its textbooks – for which Chegg provides many answers by using the language that is copied or paraphrased from the original questions; for instance, Chegg Study provides even more than 700 answers for questions included in a widely-known biology textbook, known as Campbell Biology.

A Chegg spokesperson in response recently said that the company would fight all allegations by Pearson vigorously as it is in full compliance with the Copyright Law. He further mentioned that Chegg has been helping a lot of students in learning and thriving for many years now by creating a transformative digital learning platform that aids in learning more at a lower cost and in a lesser time. He also stated that the partnership between the two companies ended this year on May 31; however, he didn’t specify the type of partnership they shared, neither did the Pearson spokesperson.

According to Band, determining copyright infringement, in this case, could be tricky. He believes that the case is made even more complex as it refers to nonfiction texts, which often face difficulties in getting the tag of copyrighted material. Let us understand this with an example – in a chemistry or history book, there are only a definite number of logical ways to present the material. The individual paragraphs or words are undoubtedly protected; however, if an individual is only presenting the info in some way or the other using his own set of words, the first author wouldn’t have a monopoly over the way to present information.

The lawsuit indeed expresses high levels of tension between the two companies involved. Recently, Pearson came up with a subscription service that provides the students with access to thousands of textbooks at $14.99 per month; thereby, giving tough competition to Chegg. For more visit: https://www.trademarkmaldives.com

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Effective Ways of Avoiding Copyright Issues in Music Production

Effective Ways of Avoiding Copyright Issues in Music Production

Without any second thoughts, getting into the music industry can nowadays prove to be quite brutal. Initially, you don’t think much about it by enjoying the phase and experiencing your dream job. You spend your time recording, producing, selling music, and getting paid for the same as well. However, after some time, you get to see the ugly face and harsh reality of the music industry, which indeed has cutthroat competition and a lot of mean people looking forward to claiming that you stole their tunes. Copyright Infringement lawsuits, in the present fast-paced society, are something that most of the music producers are accustomed to dealing with, but that doesn’t make them any uncomplicated to handle. Therefore, it is always highly advisable to avoid such complications as much as possible and as soon as possible. Let us now make ourselves familiar with how you can do the same proactively.

  1. Get all the Necessary Permissions

While being in the music industry, if you are looking forward to using the creative work of another person, then the first and foremost thing you need to do is get all the necessary permissions. It is a matter of fact that yes – the music industry is vast with a lot of artists and producers. At times you may think that you will not get caught; however, there’s no way out, and you will eventually end up getting caught, mostly in cases if you sell your music recordings. You might wake up one morning and see yourself hit by a copyright infringement lawsuit only because you didn’t receive permission from the concerned parties in the matter. Furthermore, the same applies to dead artists too. A lot of people across the globe are of the view that if a music artist is no more, then his or her creative works are open for use, which is undoubtedly far away from the truth.

The reality is that the families of the music artists who are no more and other concerned parties can still make a lot of money from royalties. Also, just because the artists are dead doesn’t mean their works are available for free. Therefore, make sure you have yourself covered in all aspects corresponding to having all the necessary permissions.

  1. Don’t Swindle the Music Tunes

There are indeed some music producers and artists who swindle the tunes from others and claim it as their own, which is a clear cut way of getting hit with a copyright infringement lawsuit. Without any doubt, you can go ahead with getting ideas from other music artists; however, you can’t take their music straight away and use it directly. There are various platforms on the Internet today that offer royalty-free sounds, loops, and sample packs to music producers. You can effectively make the most out of such opportunities by acquiring everything from the rightful owners and consequently avoid all copyright-related issues in the long run.

  1. Get in touch with a Specialized Copyright Attorney

If you wish to use a specific part of another person’s music, then it is always a brilliant idea to seek legal advice and assistance first. Copyright Laws are comprehensive with plenty of intricate details that you will miss if you begin understanding them yourself. So, get in touch with a specialized Copyright Attorney and understand whether what you are doing is legal or not. Also, under copyright laws and regulations, using some part of a music tune or song for non-commercial purposes doesn’t necessarily make it ‘fair use.’ Fair use doesn’t hold the need to seek permission from the copyright owner. However, there is a need to ensure that your case is under fair use, which again takes us to the utmost importance of consulting with experienced attorneys first.

  1. Have an Understanding about Copyrights

The copyright laws may prove to be too technical and complicated for you to understand, but you can focus on understanding the term copyright in general. When we come to the music industry, there are various misconceptions and misunderstandings related to copyright and related terms. Hence, it is imperative to know about the right things and avoid all unexpected damages. For instance, in the music industry, copyright laws not only extend to music but also the lyrics, which is something not many people know. If you use a paragraph from a poem or a book, the descendants of the writer might sue you alleging copyright infringement and demand some money if you had neglected to ask for permission. Even uploading a track (not for commercial purposes) with copyright infringement on your social media accounts like Facebook and Instagram may bring in trouble. You need to keep in mind all such details for avoiding copyright-related issues. It is highly advisable to prepare yourself for every possibility, understand the term copyright thoroughly, and know what you are allowed to do. For more visit: https://www.trademarkmaldives.com

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Court Rules against ‘GTA V’ Cheat Makers over Copyright Infringement

Court Rules against ‘GTA V’ Cheat Makers over Copyright Infringement

England and Wales Intellectual Property Enterprise Court has recently ruled against a pair of cheat developers in association with Epsilon (a former outfit related to GTA games) for infringing on the copyright by coding and selling the software.

The Grand Theft Auto (GTA) games are all about bad behavior for making money. Nevertheless, in the real world, their developer and publisher – Rockstar Games, Inc. and parent Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. – go hard on getting any hint about rules being broken, and thus, all the way to suing cheat app makers for Copyright Infringement.

The recent ruling is in relation to one such legal action that has gone well for the UK Company. It is a summary judgment meaning that the case would not go to trial.

Rockstar’s original Copyright Infringement Application for a summary judgment named five defendants, three of which have settled the case in the meantime. Rest two who chose to try their luck in court though affirmed their involvement with Epsilon, yet made efforts to invalidate the violation argument. They did so by saying that their team provided a disclaimer of liability to users of their cheat for the online gameplay GTA V. Nonetheless, the court said that this was a mere window-dressing.

In general, these cheats are known as the ‘mod menu’ and allow gamers to enjoy several advantages while playing. These sometimes unlock virtual in-game items and currency for which they would otherwise need to pay the real money.

Another thing the defendants said in their defense was that the Epsilon developed its software by forking the already existing code, which is available online. It means they downloaded the source code from a popular and well-known public cheating website. But, the court rejected this argument also and ruled in favor of Rockstar’s claim of violation of the contract against one defendant, dropping the charge against the other because he was a minor when the offense took place.

Although the case won’t go to the trial in association with the copyright charges, the issue related to legal cost may still require a trial. But Justice Falk, who signed the order, said that she hoped the parties would try to settle this matter. For more visit: https://www.trademarkmaldives.com

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SaskTel Sent 30,000 Copyright Infringement Notices to Internet Customers

SaskTel Sent 30,000 Copyright Infringement Notices to Internet Customers

As it turns out that a lot of SaskTel customers are allegedly involved in internet piracy, the company, since January 2019, has sent out around 30,000 Copyright Infringement notifications to customers, who are accused of engaging in downloading or uploading copyrighted materials.

A spokesperson for SaskTel said that the number of notices the Crown tends to issue has remained steady in recent years. The spokesperson explained that receiving one of such notices doesn’t mean that the user is being sued by Hollywood studio. However, it can lead to a suit if the user continues with the activity causing infringement.

Although SaskTel doesn’t monitor the customers’ online activities, it is obligated under the Copyright Act of Canada to issue notices related to infringement on receiving communications from copyright owners.

Halifax-based lawyer David Fraser, who specializes in internet privacy and technology law, warned SaskTel customers by saying that they shouldn’t take the notices lightly. Mr. Fraser, during a recent telephonic interview, said that he would neither ignore it and nor laugh it off; rather, he would take it seriously. The lawyer continued and provided an example saying that if he were to receive a notice in his house or to discover that one of his kids was doing something like a violation, he would have a conversation with the kid as he wouldn’t want the thing to go further.

According to Mr. Fraser, copyright owners can track SaskTel users with the help of companies that possess the technology to detect the IP addresses that access copyrighted materials, like movies through peer-to-peer file-sharing software. Nonetheless, the copyright holders don’t get aware of the users’ names, and SaskTel wouldn’t provide that information to anyone unless a court orders it to do so.

Fraser then said that Hollywood studios have sued around thousands of individuals in Canada for piracy. While representing Canadian residents against whom the lawsuits for copyright infringement have been filed by the studios, Mr. Fraser revealed that these lawsuits often fall within the range of $5,000.

Companies usually provide individuals with several notices before deciding to sue them for copyright infringement. If you receive one or two notices, then there’re possibilities that you could be sued in case you continue doing the same thing as you were doing it before. Moreover, once you get sued, you will be sued again and again. You cannot ignore it, as if you do so, then the studio gets a default judgment against you, said Fraser.

A default judgment takes place when a defendant fails to respond to summons or unable to appear in court. SaskTel said it received one court application asking for information about copyright infringement, but the data wasn’t available because the Crown stores the information only for six months. Pirating copyrighted material is in infringement of the Crown agency’s Internet use policy.

According to this policy, customers should not upload, transmit, publish, or reproduce literary work, software, or other material, which is protected by any Intellectual Property (IP) right without obtaining the prior written permission of the copyright holder.

SaskTel, at last, said getting a copyright infringement notice doesn’t affect the customers’ internet access, but the continuation in piracy-related activities can result in the suspension of service. For more visit: https://www.trademarkmaldives.com

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5 Essential Things Photographers Must Know About Copyright

5 Essential Things Photographers Must Know About Copyright

Have you taken a photograph? Then under Copyright Law of many countries, you own the copyright to that photo. This law is something that affects not just photographers but also those who want to use photos taken or created by someone else. With the ease of taking and sharing images, the concerns related to their unauthorized use have increased much. Hence, comprehending legal rights associated with the photographers and their photographs is more crucial than ever. Let’s have a look at five vital things everyone should know about copyright in photographs.

  1. Copyright is Automatic

If you take a photo, then you automatically become its owner according to the provisions provided in the copyright law of the US and several other nations. As it is automatic and immediate, you needn’t file or publish anything to establish or own your copyright. However, going for Copyright Registration of your photograph is recommended due to several reasons, but it’s not mandatory.

  1. Use of the Copyright Symbol Isn’t Mandatory

Using the copyright symbol on your images at the time you publish them is a good idea. It is a reminder to the viewers that the specific image is protected as your copyright. In other words, it’s a smart step to secure your work from being infringed by those who mistakenly believe that photos without a copyright symbol are available for free use. However, the copyright law of most countries is clear that using the copyright symbol isn’t required to protect your photos. The law states that one’s images belong to him/ her regardless of whether he/ she put the symbol when publishing them or not.

  1. Registering Your Photos With Relevant Copyright Office Offers Additional Protection

Registering your photo with Copyright Office bestows you with extra protection in the Copyright Infringement case. It limits your case to actual damages, i.e., the amount of money that the violation costs you as opposed to statutory damages, i.e., damages valued by the law based on the type of infringement. Since the actual damages are often very difficult to prove and can be very limited in some cases, the ability to obtain statutory damages is a remarkable reason to register your copyright whenever you come up with new and useful work.

  1. It’s Possible to Allow Others to Use Your Photo Without Giving Up the Copyright

You, as a copyright owner, possess the right to license your photo to another party. Copyright licensing refers to a way of permitting someone to use your photo without affecting its ownership. Copyright License Agreements can vary based on the control over the image you want to grant to others. You can grant the right to use your photo for specific purposes for a specific time or broad usage. Besides how you plan to license your photo, you can allow the party to use the same without giving up your ownership. Hence, if someone asks for permission to use your photo, ensure understanding what rights you are granting, along with whether those rights relate to licensed use or copyright.

  1. Use of Photos Doesn’t Always Mean Infringement of Owner’s Copyright

Although the law provides the owner with exclusive rights to reproduce, display, share and distribute his/ her work, there are a few legal provisions under which someone can use a copyrighted photo even without obtaining permission from the original owner. For instance, quoting a portion of any written work or sharing a photo for purposes like educational, reporting, legislative, etc., can be allowed under ‘fair use.’ Nevertheless, fair use is limited in scope, and therefore, most cases where someone uses your work without your consent result in copyright infringement. So, be careful.

As photographers, it’s essential for us to at least have a basic understanding of the Copyright Protection and rights we can enjoy under the law of the respective nation. For further information and questions/ answers related to copyright law, protection, registration, or more, you are recommended to find a good Intellectual Property Attorney. You can also look for a deft Intellectual Property Law Firm as such companies will provide you with the best possible information. These can assist you with almost every concern, from the Copyright Registration Process to the fee required to register your photo and even how to secure other Intellectual property (IP) assets. For more visit: https://www.trademarkmaldives.com

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Tech Industry Urges SCOTUS To Reverse Verdict in Google v. Oracle Copyright Battle

Tech Industry Urges SCOTUS To Reverse Verdict in Google v. Oracle Copyright Battle

A group of technology organizations and companies have recently come forth with support for Google in its Copyright Infringement battle against Oracle. The group, including Mozilla, Medium, Reddit, Cloudera, along with others, filed a joint “friend of the court” brief in which they urged the Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) to reverse a Federal Circuit Court’s verdict that Google infringed on Oracle’s copyright to Java API code in its Android Operating system.

The Google v. Oracle fight dates back over a decade, with a core concern being whether Copyright Laws bar the common practice of software reimplementation, the process of developing new software to carry out certain functions of a legacy product. However, with the US Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit decision stating that the functional elements of application programming interfaces (APIs) are subject to copyright, Oracle won the most recent iteration of the fight.

The brief stated that ‘innovation and competition’ is the engine of the healthy internet, and software development is the field that fuels it. For the past many years, the software engineers have been relied on reimplementation, emphasizing reuse of functional protocols like the software interfaces to create competitive alternatives to incumbent industry players and develop new software without fear of copyright infringement.

The companies argued that the federal court’s decision against Google stifled decades of industry practice and upended the established expectations of developers, investors, and consumers. They urged the SCOTUS to reverse the lower court’s finding and allow Java APIs to be free from copyright or at least be accessible for fair use.

Abigail Phillips, head of the Mozilla Foundation’s legal department, said that the brief made its argument from the perspective of not just small and medium companies but even open-source tech organizations. She wrote that the consequences of the Court’s ruling in favor of Oracle are especially dire for small software developers who are already suffering due to their size and relatively limited resources. Hence, the overall result will be worst, i.e., the future would see fewer innovations from small and medium companies, along with the reinforcement of the positions of large enterprises in the tech industry. The future, as a result of this decision, would also experience a decline in incentive among big companies to improve their products and services.

At last, the brief stated – the tech industry believes that a healthy internet relies on the Supreme Court (SC) reversing the Federal Circuit Court’s decision and reaffirming the current status of play for software development, where copyright doesn’t stand in the path of software developers reusing SSOs (structure, sequence, and organization) for API packages in socially, technologically, and economically beneficial ways.

Besides this recently filed brief, an application requesting SCOTUS to reconsider the earlier judgment of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit had been filed by Google as well. However, the final showdown amid Google and Oracle is set to take place in March. For more visit: https://www.trademarkmaldives.com

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Protection of GUIs as Industrial Design Patents

Protection of GUIs as Industrial Design Patents

GUI (Graphical User Interface) design is an emerging player in the technology industry, and more so in the world of patents. For companies that are in the business of selling goods and services through websites over the internet, GUI plays a vital role in attracting their consumers. Hence, the GUIs, which often exist in the form of simple icons, visual signals, and screen layouts, have become invaluable and beneficial Intellectual Property (IP) assets that represent a business’s brand identity and goodwill. Like other assets, these GUIs are also vulnerable to get infringed, i.e., copied and used by unauthorized users. Hence, the companies, which rely on GUIs to make profits by attracting and making consumers buy from them, need to protect their GUIs. In this article, we’ll explore how Industrial Design Patents can protect GUIs, thus making them vital components of any robust IP strategy.

Depending on several aspects, different countries have different rules and laws for the protection of GUIs. In general, GUIs may be secured under Copyright and Trademark Law, but Design Patent Protection offers distinct advantages over many other forms of IP protection.

  • Design patents can protect icons and screen designs that don’t function as trademarks.
  • For obtaining protection by the Registration of Industrial Design Patent, there is no requirement of creativity, as in the case of copyright.
  • Design patents possess validity. It means although the term of a design patent registration is limited to 15 years, it rarely outlives because of the driving nature of design, especially in the graphic user interface area.
  • Unlike copyright or several other Intellectual Property Rights (IPRs) where fair use defense exists, design patent infringement isn’t available with this defense.
  • Design patent rights are easier to enforce than trademark and copyright, as no consumer survey or copying is required to prove infringement.
  • The measure of damages is a remarkable advantage. For instance, according to the rules for design patent damages – an infringer shall be liable to the patent owner to the extent of his total profit; whereas, Copyright Law limits the damages to the defendant’s profits attributable to the infringing component.
  • A design patent cannot just expand the intellectual property portfolio of the company but also increase its future asset value.

Significant Aspects Associated with GUI that Are Protectable as Design Patents

  • Firstly, novel icons related to GUI are protectable as design patents. These icons are the visual representations that display the subject matter related to the application. For example – an envelope representing e-mail, camera lens representing a camera, etc. In the case of third-party applications (apps), the app icon appears to be the most vital thing with which that particular company can convey its brand. Hence, protecting the app icon with the help of the design patent is of great importance.
  • Secondly, the GUIs that you can view when the app gets opened are also eligible to be protected as design patents. For instance, on clicking the icon, you can open the app and see the GUIs inside. At this stage, the novelty aspect is all about the GUI’s layout that includes the specific location of each element, which is also protectable. For instance, on opening a camera app, you can see the control and settings buttons displayed in a specific layout. All these are protectable as long as they are novel and nonobvious.
  • Finally, animation related to GUI is also protectable. For example, when you click on the settings of the camera app, the screen often slides to either right or left off the settings page. This type of movement in the app is protectable as a design patent. One common example of protection of such movement in GUI is the Apple ‘Cover Flow’ design patent, which safeguards flipping through albums in the music player interface and iTunes.

GUI is a booming technological area, and if we talk about GUI patents, then it is true that a major portion of the total design patent filings made worldwide is related to GUIs. Moreover, the number has been rapidly accelerating. The protection of GUI is an imperative type of Intellectual Property Protection that a developer should obtain to protect the company brand. Because of the continuous and rapid technological developments, it is expected that the future will see GUIs as essential assets for any business that wants to interact with its audience. That’s why almost all, including people, companies, national to International Industrial Design Registration service providers, etc., believe that the GUI protection must not be limited only to the software world, rather all industries should consider protecting GUIs strongly.

Design patents are what offer unique rights/ protection against GUI counterfeits and third parties, whose mimicking designs may cause the likelihoods of confusion. Furthermore, they can even help the owner to increase the value of his/ her IP portfolio, and thus, attract investors. For more visit: https://www.trademarkmaldives.com

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What to do to Avoid Being Targeted by Copyright Trolls?

What to do to Avoid Being Targeted by Copyright Trolls?

The industries, especially apparel in the present era is being hit by an unpleasantly hot trend that leaves several retailers, apparel manufacturers, etc., in a situation where they find themselves trapped in Copyright Infringement cases made by copyright trolls. These are the entities that go after the companies or entrepreneurs by opportunistically enforcing their copyrights to make money in litigation. They employ the strategies that make it difficult for people to defend against infringement claims. In general, their strategies include the following steps:

  • First of all, they amass vast libraries or stockpiles of copyrights on an array of fabric prints, even which they may not be producing or licensing for paid distribution.
  • After that, they send out shoppers to find merchandise made of fabric that’s identical or similar to their copyrighted fabrics.

Indeed, even the basic fabric prints, including floral, paisley, geometric, and more, can be subject to infringement lawsuits. Once the copyright trolls find something, they retain Intellectual Property Law Firms to send numerous cease and desist letters and to file lawsuits. Since the litigation is risky and expensive, most companies prefer settling them outside the court rather than fighting in front of the judiciary.

For a company, which is continuously adding to its fabrics already including many, legally clearing every suit is not practical and can eat up a lot of its money and time. Hence, apparel-related businesses need to find how to avoid copyright infringement claims by copyright trolls. Besides, they also need to look for what to do to mitigate the damage if a claim is made.

Although the perfect protection is to sell only solid fabrics produced by designing your patterns, which certainly is not realistic, you can still take a few other measures to protect yourself. Some of the steps you can follow to stay safe against copyright trolls are as follows:

  • Begin by asking your textile supplier if his/her company possesses an appropriate Copyright Registration for the pattern/ design being considered to be used in your products. You can ask for evidence of the ‘original work’ authorship. In case the supplier has purchased the pattern or design to be sold to you from any third-party, you must demand a statement stating that the original copyright is being transferred to you.
  • Obtain a clear indemnification clause and shifts the burden and damages to the supplier in the event of copyright infringement lawsuits. It is a contract under which one party (supplier) commits to compensate the other for any harm arises out of the contract. The promise, by the suppliers to cover your losses if they do something that makes any third-party to sue you, should be in writing.
  • Since the policies related to copyright infringement insurance are expensive, people often ignore purchasing their own insurance. You may also be thinking to do so, but note that it is a very small cost to protect yourself and your customers from issues, like infringements, confusions, and monetary losses due to them.
  • Prefer using ‘public domain designs.’ These are the designs available without issues of copyright ownership. There are various facilities that maintain libraries consisting of thousands or more prints, which exist in nature or are already in the public domain. You can pick and use any design from these reference materials. Although you cannot copyright that design, still it will keep you out of the courtroom.
  • Last but not least, if you are not satisfied with the supplier’s response to your inquiries, then it will be in your best interest to avoid buying the pattern or design from him/ her.

Conclusion

Whether manufacturers or retailers, legitimate companies are in the business of creating products their customers will enjoy and appreciate. On the other hand, copyright trolls are in the business of targeting these legitimate companies, and thus, finding opportunities to file copyright infringement claims and seek monetary settlements. As these types of attacks are difficult to defend against, apparel companies need to be prepared for the circumstances when copyright trolls inevitably rear their ugly heads. Hopefully, the information provided in this blog will prove helpful in preventing you from being targeted by copyright trolls. However, if you still have doubts regarding anything or face any issue, you are advised to have a discussion with an experienced IP attorney. For more visit: https://www.trademarkmaldives.com

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Why Cost Barriers to Copyright Access And Use Need to Go?

Why Cost Barriers to Copyright Access And Use Need to Go?

Copyright, nowadays, appears as the foundation for much of what goes into the knowledge economy. It is not just a way to protect unique creative works from being infringed but also a source of income for a wide range of creative workers. Some writers, composers, etc., get copyright income directly. Nonetheless, others earn by joining a creative network, including publishers, record labels, distribution companies, and others. Being a part of such an ecosystem, they make money by licensing rights under Copyright Law.

But, the fact is that if legal rights can’t be enforced, they don’t help the owner much. In documents, it appears as if the owners of a copyrighted work possess a solid set of rights. However, the reality is a bit different. The copyright, indeed, cost too much to enforce. It is common, and thus, the governments and Intellectual Property Law (IP Law) administrators should recognize that the law needs updating.

They should consider that although copyright assets don’t lead to as many problems as other products do, reinforcing this area, i.e., the knowledge economy is somewhere tied to economic success.

Because of mounting up things like legal advice costs, court fees, IP Attorneys‘ hourly charges, copyright litigation can be very expensive. And then the more threatening concern is the risks of having to pay to other parties if you lose. Take an example of a writer who finds that a large amount of his work has been violated. A report made in 2019 stated that the writers, on average, earn 31 percent of their annual income through writing. For most, if not all writers, enforcing their copyrights in cases where their work has been infringed upon will be prohibitive. The same also applies to small businesses and many others.

Sometimes, the only option writers and small businesses have is to put up with Copyright Infringement, in addition to the possible loss of income.

Another case to consider is that people often want to use material sheltered under Copyright Registration Protection but are not familiar with the way to go about clearing rights. The Copyright Act undoubtedly has many defenses and exceptions regarding this matter, but they may be arduous to comprehend. Many times, it is unclear whether the proposed use of copyright-protected material is lawful or not. Indeed, this is a common issue for cultural institutions such as galleries and museums.

Copyright owners often grant permission or give license but, if they don’t, then there can be a legal deadlock. One option that may be helpful in such cases is to knock the Court’s doors. But again, costs act as a barrier and prevent the public from getting the benefits of creative work or activity. IP Lawyers in Maldives and almost every nation call this an “access to justice” issue.

This concern, which is not just a copyright issue, impacts the IP industry in several countries of the world.

Although including some glitches, copyrights are still leading to the emergence of innovative solutions worldwide. Hence, to make the world enjoy continuous and better new creations, it is vital to turn all this good work into a meaningful and useful asset. For this, the government and authorities taking care of Copyright Law in Maldives and outside need to ensure that the rights can be utilized by the creative workers, cultural institutions, small businesses, and all for whom these matters. They should also make sure that the costs do not create barriers in the process of accessing copyright justice.

Almost everyone agrees that copyright law needs to be turned fit for purpose in the modern digital economy. Therefore, many IP experts have already started working on this subject matter and finding ways to improve the Copyright Acts of different nations. For more visit: https://www.trademarkmaldives.com

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How to Protect Mobile Apps against Intellectual Property Theft?

How to Protect Mobile Apps against Intellectual Property Theft?

The speed with which enterprises across different sectors and industries are undergoing digital transformations has left the majority struggling for the protection of their data and Intellectual Property (IP). The reports showing tremendous losses due to theft and duplication of mobile apps worldwide each year clarifies that only firewalls are no longer sufficient to protect these assets. As more and more companies adopt the use of mobile devices and applications, the threats extend far beyond the traditional concepts. With the estimation that 80% of tasks would be going to take place through mobile apps by 2020, securing them must be the top priority for their developers. Businesses should realize that if a mobile app can make them; it can also break them in case the innovative and valuable source code gets stolen. It is because mobile apps are inherently vulnerable to hacking, copying, and more. To understand this phenomenon and learn how to protect your mobile applications against the growing threat of IP theft, read further.

What is IP Theft in Regards to Mobile Apps?

Intellectual property refers to a category of valuable assets that includes intangible creations of human intellect. In general, types of IP vary from country to country; however, some most common ones are copyrights, trademarks, trade secrets, and patents. Digital IP encompasses algorithms and source codes, while mobile IP theft involves piracy and cloning of whole or parts of mobile apps.

Why and How Should You Protect your Mobile Apps?

Designed to bring a multitude of services at the users’ fingertips, mobile apps’ flexibilities and portabilities make them attractive to not just users but infringers as well. Hence, it is as imperative to fully preserve your app’s functionality as it is to protect the app itself. Well, mobile application protection software is an excellent tool to safeguard your app. By mutually reinforcing multiple layers of non-stop protection integrated into your app’s code, it can defend your app’s integrity and buzz off security threats while optimizing app performance. Nonetheless, relying on application protection software alone may not be sufficient in many cases, especially when the theft of unique code or app can result in reputational losses. Therefore, in addition to mobile application protection software, you must emphasize protecting your apps with patents, trademarks, copyrights, or other relevant Intellectual Property Rights (IPRs). For instance, copyright registration can prevent copycats from copying your app codes or user interface (UI) elements. Besides, if you want to safeguard your apps’ artistic aspects like images, sound, videos, etc., then also Copyright Protection is the best tool.

Filing a Patent Application is another significant way to reinforce the protection of your mobile app. Although, in general, the technological arrangement of mobile apps and the way how they communicate with other mobile apps/devices and servers are patentable, the patentability criteria still vary from country to country. Hence, to avoid any delay or monetary loss due to the rejection of your patent application, you must always proceed after ensuring if your app is eligible to obtain Patent Protection. A knowledgeable Patent Attorney can assist you in checking whether your app suffices the patentability criteria or not, learning How to Apply for a Patent without committing any mistake, and more.

The name and logo that make the viewer identify and distinguish your mobile app from others are crucial assets, and no one except you should make profits from these. Trademarks are the IPRs that have been intended to safeguard one’s identity by preventing others from using the same or similar name or mark, which may create confusion. A Registered Trademark will also increase your mobile apps’ credibility, and thus serve you with more users. Hence, you should never miss out on the opportunity of securing your app’s name and logo under Trademark Protection.  

Conclusion

Undoubtedly, ensuring comprehensive protection of your mobile application against IP theft is not only arduous but appears impossible in some cases. However, if used together, the above-mentioned mobile application protection software and Intellectual Property Protection tools will never let you down due to the theft or misuse of your app. So, whether you are coming up with a new app or revamping an already existing one, it is always advisable to devise an appropriate strategy by combining these two protection shields. Don’t forget that it is the aptest way to make benefits from your mobile app without any concern in today’s era, where such applications are a part of continuously changing and fast-moving technology. For more visit: https://www.trademarkmaldives.com

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