Protection of Intellectual Property....HELP!

[PascalFleischman]

I'd appreciate some feedback from those of you that may have experience with protecting intellectual property.

I have come up with a t-shirt design, and a lady here at work with screen-printing experience is helping to put my idea to paper. I would like to submit my idea to a local talk radio personality, but with the understanding that I'm submitting this idea as a "bid" of sorts. If he likes the idea and would like to promote it, then I would like to provide the t-shirts or sell the concept. What I'm wanting to avoid is essentially giving the guy an idea so he can run with it and benefit from my "intellectual property". I'd also like to make sure that the lady who is actually doing the artwork receives credit as well.

Any suggestions?

Basically, I'm taking a non-copyrighted photo, adding a caption to it, and putting it on a t-shirt.

Thanks for the help.

[ricbak]

Well, Sir, The Wiphe & Her friend were talking about that copywrite thang too.. They were doing something at: U.S. Copyright Office - Online Services (eCO: Electronic Copyright Office)
I do not think they ever finished....
Good luck...

How's the Little Guy?

[PascalFleischman]

Got his lifetime Hunting and Fishing license in the mail yesterday......I'm about to brag about it in a new thread.

His health is much better, too.

[HootmonSccy]

Originally Posted by PascalFleischman

I'd appreciate some feedback from those of you that may have experience with protecting intellectual property.

I have come up with a t-shirt design, and a lady here at work with screen-printing experience is helping to put my idea to paper. I would like to submit my idea to a local talk radio personality, but with the understanding that I'm submitting this idea as a "bid" of sorts. If he likes the idea and would like to promote it, then I would like to provide the t-shirts or sell the concept. What I'm wanting to avoid is essentially giving the guy an idea so he can run with it and benefit from my "intellectual property". I'd also like to make sure that the lady who is actually doing the artwork receives credit as well.

Any suggestions?

Basically, I'm taking a non-copyrighted photo, adding a caption to it, and putting it on a t-shirt.

Thanks for the help.

At minimum you want the DJ and the radio station to sign Non-compete / Non-Disclosure documents.. You do not need to patent, a TradeMark is what you are looking for along with the doc's mentioned above. IMO

[XD-Fender]

Originally Posted by PascalFleischman

I'd appreciate some feedback from those of you that may have experience with protecting intellectual property.

I have come up with a t-shirt design, and a lady here at work with screen-printing experience is helping to put my idea to paper. I would like to submit my idea to a local talk radio personality, but with the understanding that I'm submitting this idea as a "bid" of sorts. If he likes the idea and would like to promote it, then I would like to provide the t-shirts or sell the concept. What I'm wanting to avoid is essentially giving the guy an idea so he can run with it and benefit from my "intellectual property". I'd also like to make sure that the lady who is actually doing the artwork receives credit as well.

Any suggestions?

Basically, I'm taking a non-copyrighted photo, adding a caption to it, and putting it on a t-shirt.

Thanks for the help.

I am not an IP lawyer, but I have had some exposure to these issues, and the first thing I would warn you about is that "copyright" is something that generally does not need to be asserted in order to be in effect. So you should confirm carefully whether the photograph you are using truly is "non-copyrighted"--just because it does not have a copyright symbol on it or the right has not been asserted, does not mean that the photographer does not hold a copyright to it.

[PascalFleischman]

To my knowledge, there is no known way to verify the status of ownership of the photo.

[XD-Fender]

Originally Posted by PascalFleischman

To my knowledge, there is no known way to verify the status of ownership of the photo.

Then you need to be veeery careful about using it for any commercial purpose (or otherwise, for that matter). The owner could pop up later and claim infringement--again, as a general matter, copyright need not be asserted to be effective.