Trademarks - are they worth it?

[SignTorch]

Trademarks are popular, and all too easy to fabricate, but the risk is all too easy to underestimate.

Here is an article about a vendor who thought wrong.

Store owner sentenced for selling counterfeit Detroit Lions, Red Wings, Tigers gear

Note that it says they are also going after the suppliers

A supplier who made one item could be in hot water the same as one that made hundreds

 

[SignTorch]

here's another one

WARNING TO EVERYONE!!!! - Business Practices, Sales and Pricing, etc. - USCutter Forum

 

[Dustan Kozmeniuk]

So I am wondering if you do want to cut out a copyright protected image such as monster energy or any others . Does it have to be completely changed or can it just be changed a little bit to avoid a lawsuit ?

 

[SignTorch]

the notion that changing something can change its ownership is a fallacy,

you can change it all you want, but as long as it looks like or represents monster energy, then you haven't really changed anything

monster energy is a trademark, not a copyright

trademark covers business identity

copyright covers creative works

 

[Dustan Kozmeniuk]

Thank you for very clearly explaining this to me .

 

[SignTorch]

it all boils down to anything that exploits anyone else's work or reputation in any way is just not fair and usually has a tangible harmful effect in one way or another

U.S. copyrights and patents are exclusive rights conferred in the original United States Constitution, while trademark evolved separately out of competition between businesses in commerce as far back as during the Roman Empire when swordsmiths began marking their metalwork with symbols to represent the maker of goods - modern trademark law did not take shape until the mid 19th century - but it is as much to protect consumers as it is to protect businesses - imagine if you couldn't tell a fake sword from a real one if your life depended on it - even when life doesn't depend on it, trademark is vital for society - even though it may not always seem so to individuals