Is Your Intellectual Property Protected?Written by Susan Dunn, Certified Emotional Intelligence Coach
THE NOODLE-HEAD The other day I had quite a shock. A student who was taking one of my Internet courses e-mailed me to tell me that it was so beneficial “I emailed copies to all my friends and family.” Thereby circumventing my $29.99 per course, and violating my copyright. Yikes! THE KNAVE I also market coaches. I design websites, including search engine optimization. In doing some work for a client, I discovered suddenly someone had overtaken them on search engine. When I checked, it turned out they had completely copied source codes I’d done, keywords and all. Not one word was changed. Double yikes! THE NERVE Another client was checking out competition on web one day – he cuts plastics – and found someone had copied his entire entry page, just changing logo and company name where needed. Same photos, same placement, same ad copy, same menu buttons ... Busted! TIME TO CHECK WITH YOUR ATTORNEY ABOUT YOUR INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY RIGHTS? Check with your attorney, because it’s confusing. Even being a certified paralegal, I find intellectual property law daunting. According to Cornell Law School website, “under current law, works are covered whether or not a copyright is attached and whether or not work is registered.” (This means registered with US Copyright Office.) HOWEVER, American Intellectual Property Lawyers Association [AIPLA] says “registration … is not required for existence of copyright; however, it is a prerequisite to a lawsuit for copyright infringement and to certain legal remedies.” [Source: http://www.aipla.org/Content/ContentGroups/Publications1/Publications_available_for_viewing1/What_is_a_Patent_and_Trademark.htm ] They recommend you have a specialist draft document.
| | 10 Tips for Investing in Distressed or Foreclosed PropertiesWritten by Elaine VonCannon
10 Tips for Investing in Distressed or Foreclosed Properties1. Search on world wide web for distressed or foreclosed properties as a starting point. Use a professional REALTOR to identify great foreclosure deals for you. You may be successful at searching web on your own, but keep in mind some of information is outdated, some may be incorrect, and some of available properties are not even listed. A REALTOR subscribes to updated MLS listings and can offer you most current information available. 2. If you search yourself for distressed properties and purchase from selling agent, you are paying a commission to someone with a vested interest. Obtain objectivity in sale by working with your own REALTOR. You won’t pay any more. Technically, everyone works for seller, since they pay commission. 3. With distressed or foreclosed properties, time is of essence. Purchasers must close on date specified by agency, and cannot close after this without penalties of $25-200 per day. 4. It takes 1-3 weeks to qualify a loan. If you are approved for a loan, make sure you are qualified by your lender as soon as possible. If you are paying by cash, make certain funds are available. If finances are in order, REALTOR will then submit an offer. When offer is accepted by both seller and buyer, REALTOR will submit ratified contract to lender and closing agent. These steps will begin process of a successful real estate transaction. 5. When purchasing a distressed property, always obtain 3-4 bids from different contractors to estimate costs of repairs, if you do not plan on doing work yourself.
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