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A Trademark By Any Other Name…

The Lanham Act prohibits registration on the Principal Register of a mark that is “primarily merely a surname” unless an applicant can show that the mark has acquired secondary meaning such that consumers perceive the surname as an identifier of source.  15 U.S.C. § 1052(e)(4).  Alternatively,…

German Copyright Law Sets Limitations on Exclusive Licenses

Authors and creators in Germany are given a leg up in dealing with the copyright industry and their publishers. The new rules introduced into German copyright law late last year focus on “full buy-out’ contracts where rights are granted to the publisher exclusively in consideration…