Chainsaw training levels

[treehumper]

When I worked for a custom training company we copyrighted everything we produced and had all contracts include limitations on the reproduction of said materials by the client unless they were buying the intellectual property itself (a hefty price tag). However, all of that imposed a duty to enforce the copyright, monitor for any illegal use of our properties and take legal action wherever we identified such. If you don't, in essence you lose your copyright or it is unenforceable.

It takes a fairly large company or someone with a lot of money at stake to be able to protect trademarks, patents and copyrights. Think about all the infringements that occur every day on every school campus at a photocopier.

Oh and Daniel, you could protect it, now whether or not it would be enforceable is another story...

 

[Phil]

Sure, I'll derail my own thread...cus thats how I roll.


http://www.businessinsider.com/exit-6-pub-answers-starbucks-legal-demands-with-f-words-2013-12

 

[mark_sauls]

I didn't know Kramer had a kid. Hands off the mustache Phil. You will go blind.

 

[treehumper]

I was wondering if someone would reference Exit 6. And to put it in perspective. First that was just a golden marketing opportunity for Exit 6. Think of all the free publicity he's received.

Next, the story behind Frappuccino is a case in point of registering a trademark and then defending it. Starbucks acquired the trademark in 1994 when they purchased the company, The Coffee Connection. The owner and creator of this drink was George Howell an entrepreneur who started opened his first shop in Boston in 1975. He grew the company to 24 locations in Eastern MA.

So, a small business owner (much like many here) had success, grew his business and innovated. He trademarked a drink he developed. The demands of running the business began to wear on him and he sold to Starbucks. They see a product in Frappuccino that they could sell through all their outlets and find success with it. If they hadn't protected their trademark they would've lost out on the opportunity and much revenue. Fly forward to the Exit 6 thing and it seems pretty petty of them. Sure they could've handled it better but, I suspect Mr. Britton would've seized on the opportunity no matter how tactful they approached him anyway. It"s just a classic David vs. Goliath story that the public and media love to gobble up.

To me it's a lesson to business owners a) to protect your trademarks and, b) never let a good publicity stunt pass you by.

Sorry for boarding your derail, Phil!