Can you copyright idioms

In , works published in expired. In , works published in will expire, and so on. If a work was written by several authors and published after , it will not expire until 70 years after the last surviving author dies. Thousands of works published in the United States before fell into the public domain because the copyright was not renewed in time under the law in effect then. If a work was first published before , the owner had to file a renewal with the Copyright Office during the 28th year after publication.

No renewal meant a loss of copyright. If you plan on using a work that was published before , you should research the records of the Copyright Office to determine if a renewal was filed. Sometimes an author deliberately chooses not to protect a work and dedicates the work to the public.

This type of dedication is rare, and unless there is express authorization placing the work in the public domain, do not assume that the work is free to use. An additional concern is whether the person making the dedication has the right to do so.

Only the copyright owner can dedicate a work to the public domain. Sometimes, the creator of the work is not the copyright owner and does not have authority. If in doubt, contact the copyright owner to verify the dedication. There are some things that copyright law does not protect.

These things are free for all to use without authorization. Short phrases, names, titles, or small groups of words are considered common idioms of the English language and are free for anyone to use. However, a short phrase used as an advertising slogan is protectable under trademark law.

In that case, you could not use a similar phrase for the purpose of selling products or services. A fact or a theory—for example, the fact that a comet will pass by the Earth in —is not protected by copyright. And, when it comes to actively participating in workplace conversations in English, understanding and being able to use common business expressions, known as idioms, is key.

However, idioms are sometimes one of the last things non-native speakers become comfortable with and able to use. Networking at the conference can help you get your foot in the door with potential investors. The acquisition is a sensitive subject, so we are going to keep some people in the dark. When members first join the team, there is a steep learning curve. We are in the red this month due to overspending.

Can you give me a ballpark figure of the costs to inform this scope? Now that Paul has learned the ropes, he is ready to take on more responsibility. You can't trademark a phrase just because you like it and don't want anyone else to use it. You must be using the phrase or intending to use the phrase in connection with the sale of goods or services.

Your trademarked phrase is only protected against use by others in the same class of business. The trademark must be used to identify your company as the source of the goods or services.

Your application may be rejected if it's determined that the phrase only describes the goods or services, rather than the company that is their source. However, some phrases that have been approved seem to ignore this. The phrase may not be the same as a phrase that has already been registered or has a pending application. The phrase may not be likely to be confused with a phrase that has already been registered or has a pending application and relates to a similar type of goods or services.

The phrase must be distinctive and not generic or just descriptive. To complicate things, a phrase that is distinctive when used in relation to one type of business may be generic in relation to another type of business.

For example, the word "Apple" can be trademarked by a company that makes computers, but not by a company that sells apples. The phrase can't use terms commonly used in business or in the applicant's type of business.

The phrase can't be a part of everyday speech. For example, phrases like "I'm just saying," "as a matter of fact," or "on the other hand" would probably be rejected. This concept can be confusing when you learn that the phrase "that's hot" was approved for use with certain products.

About the Author Jane Haskins, Esq. Related Topics. Facebook Twitter. This portion of the site is for informational purposes only. The content is not legal advice. The statements and opinions are the expression of the author, not LegalZoom, and have not been evaluated by LegalZoom for accuracy, completeness, or changes in the law.

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