Need Help - Law Stuff

[WoobieZarz]

With all our law degree holding members, and other smartfull stuff, which I have no idea about.

Kinda thinking out-loud here, but can anyone point me in the right direction what one would need to do in order to:

A.) Register a business name

&

B.) Have something copyrighted

If B can be achieved without A, then the more the merier.

Just trying to market something I have developed, but need to know what I need to do in order to make it legit, and safe from duplication, and replication.

I may be chewing off more than I can swallow, and will be happy to accept defeat, and move on without the whole marketing idea.

Any help appreciated.

S

 

[bigsarg7]

I don't have a great deal of knowlege of these types of things but I don't think you have to be a registered business to copyright something. I know a lot of Christian music writers who copyright their music and don't have a business name. Here is some stuff I found on the topic http://www.ag.gov.au/copyright/shortguide#6

In order to register a business name go to http://www.consumer.tas.gov.au/business_affairs/business_names/registering_business_name
for the Tassie site

Hope that helps a little

 

[whereiswally78]

Tell us what it is, Scotty, then give us a couple of weeks to research the answer to you query

 

[chadjaja]

If you are thinking what i think you are thinking its called soap and the northern island already uses it and its nothing new.

 

[ducky_poo]

have a gander

http://www.copyright.org.au/publications/G010.pdf

 

[Allstar cards inc]

If you are thinking what i think you are thinking its called soap and the northern island already uses it and its nothing new.

Chad that's just insulting....I'm pretty sure Scotty has come up with a two-necked skivvy....which now means that one of the heads won't have to use an armhole, which had been (prior to this development) rendering one of the arms useless!!!!

 

[WoobieZarz]

Thanks guys, I'll have a gander a bit later on. Bit sleepy after a 2am night on the turps.

Oh, and it's not soap or a skivvy (do people still wear those things????). It's software.

 

[thin man's hat]

You dont really have to do anything to have something copyrighted. Copyright basically comes into effect as soon as you create something. So if you write a song, or a book, or come up with a special design for something, as soon as you create it, you get the copy rights, which are basically the rights to copy it.

It sounds to me like what you want is likely to be a patent, or a registered design. These are the things that actually give some 'protection' to your invention/idea. I dont know a whole lot about patent law, and there are lawyers called 'patent attorneys', who do nothing but this sort of stuff. Basically there are some things that you cant patent. In order to get a patent, you need to describe the nature of what you have invented; explain the best method of doing it; and define the uses for which you want the exclusive rights. THere are 2 types of patents in Australia - a standard, and an 'innovation'. Apparently innovation patents are quick and easy to get, but only last for 8 years, rather than 20.

You can apply for a patent by filling in a form and paying a fee. Its not too difficult, and you dont have to be a registered business. If patent is not the right thing, you could try a 'registred design'. They have some good fact sheets at http://www.ipaustralia.gov.au/

hope that helps, and good luck with it