Trademark Law for Artists and Arts Organizations

With Dean Sheldon Serwin, Esq. 

Intellectual Property includes both copyright and trademark, but they are very different rights which can sometimes overlap.  This workshop will focus on the core elements of trademark law as it relates to visual art and artists.  We will discuss what trademark is and is not, how it relates to copyright and where the crossovers occur, what is protectable, who has trademark rights and how to protect them, including the basic process from start to finish, including: determining what exactly you are trying to protect, how to search if it is available for protection, what “classes” are and how to determine the “class[es]” in which to apply, how to file the application, and what to do after you receive your registration.  We will also discuss how to use someone else’s trademark and how to allow others to use yours, and what you can do if they use it without permission.

Presenter:
Dean Sheldon Serwin is a graduate of UCLA Law School who began his practice of law in 1990, and works primarily in the entertainment industry. Prior to establishing his own firm in 1994, Dean worked for a firm representing several platinum artists, served as Vice President of Legal Affairs for a film and TV production and distribution company, and held positions at the Director's Guild of America, BMI, and Capitol Records. Dean's Hollywood-based solo law practice serves a wide range of clients in all areas of the music, film, video game, TV, Internet, and distribution businesses, including small and medium size publishing companies. Dean also specializes in copyright and trademark prosecution and dispute resolution.