A copyright, trademark, etc question...

[Shawn]

I have a presentation/demo that I want to pitch to a specific company. The presentation will exist as a Powerpoint document, containing written material, graphics & a few short audio & video clips.

What I want to do is protect my overall "concept" so they can't steal my idea...and I also want to protect the various documents, audio files, etc contained in it.

Lastly, I want to create my own "production company" (me) with a specific name and trademark (?) it. I have no idea what these things cost, so if anyone has a ballpark figure I could use that as well.

Sorry to ask so many questions in one post, I'm just hittin' a creative streak and I need to land a new job so I can keep a roof over my head (and my sister & nephew as well).

Thanks in advance.

Sincerely,

Shawn

[Claude]

Your presentation is protected by copyright. These FAQs should answer your basic questions:

http://www.copyright.gov/circs/circ1.html

As copyright is protected without registration, a problem is often to prove the date of creation in a lawsuit. This can be done quite easily by sending a registered letter containing the work adressed to oneself, and leave it unopened. The official post stamp would serve as a proof of the date of the work contained in the envelope. There are also official registration procedures, but these may be to complicated for some situations.

Here are some trademark FAQs:

http://www.uspto.gov/go/tac/doc/basic/

Edited July 27, 2006 by Claude

[chewy-chew-chew-bean-benitez]

HI CHEWY-CHEW-CHEW HERE 2 REPORT CLAUDE IS RIGHT U JUST DO THE LETTER DEALIE AND MAIL IT TOUR YOURSELF- BE SURE NOT TO OPEN IT! ALSO, SEALED LETTERS ALWAYS MAKE WOMEN NERVOUS SO PUT IT IN YOUR LOCAL SAFE-DEPOSIT BOX. If your box is full stuffed with important secret crap already, like sometimes can happen, then just keep it in your house, the same way you would hide jewelry or pornagraphic film reels.

[chewy-chew-chew-bean-benitez]

ps- Deep Purples rules!

[Neal Pomea]

Your written expression is copyrightable, but not your ideas and concepts. Ideas are not protected by copyright. Only tangible expressions.

Maybe you are using the word "concept" in a way I don't understand.

Under what is not protected by copyright see this quote:

"Ideas, procedures, methods, systems, processes, concepts, principles, discoveries, or devices, as distinguished from a description, explanation, or illustration."

You might have something that can be patented.

Edited July 27, 2006 by It Should be You

[Claude]

That's right. The copyright only protects the presentation, not the concept behind it.

Patents protect inventions. In the US, business methods can also qualify as inventions.

Someone who presents his invention to a potential investor always faces a dilemma. He wants to present it a way that is detailed enough so to convince the investor, but at the same time he wants to make sure the company cannot use the invention if no business relationship sees the light.

A patent gives the inventor a strong protection, but not all ideas are patentable.

[Guest sailor]

ps- Deep Purples rules!

So does the Episode Six.