Protective Clothing
Can I show people my designs without losing the shirt off my back?
Question: I'm
in the process of creating more than 50 new imprinted T-shirts,
whose designs can also be used for bumper stickers, posters,
buttons and more. How can I protect my ideas, slogans, phrases and
logos when showing and discussing them with professional graphic
artists or companies I hire to help me get professional-quality
final designs?
Aslam Romani
Via e-mail
Answer: First,
before showing your creative product to anyone, get him or her to
sign a nondisclosure agreement (NDA). An NDA, which identifies what
you're protecting, covers confidentiality, circulation,
duplication and use of the information being provided. An at-torney
can prepare your NDA, or you can prepare it yourself, preferably
with an attorney reviewing it. You don't want to use someone
else's NDA, because they almost always favor whoever writes
them. Having a formal NDA may scare off a few people, but it lets
the rest know you're serious and fully prepared to use the law
to protect your interest.
Second, you may be able to copyright and trademark your
creations. To get advice on what you can protect and the best ways
to do it, consult an attorney who specializes in intellectual
property law. You can prepare ahead of time by checking out the
information online at the United
States Copyright Office of The Library of Congress and the
U.S. Patent and Trademark
Office. Some states also offer trademark protection.
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You can start looking for an attorney at Web sites that list
at-torneys by specialty. One such site is www.martindalehubbell.com,
the online version of the Martindale-Hubbell Law Directory. The
print version is available in legal libraries and in the reference
sections of many public libraries. Another good site to visit is
AttorneyPages, which
lists the attorneys you're looking for under the category of
Copyright, Trademark & IP (Intellectual Property).
Nolo Press also publishes several helpful books, including
The Copyright Handbook: How to Protect and Use
Written Words by Stephen Fishman and Trademark: Legal Care for Your Business &
Product Name by Stephen Elias and Kate McGrath. You can
find out more at www.nolo.com.
Small-business experts Paul and Sarah Edwards' latest
book is Changing Directions Without Losing Your Way
(Putnam Publishing Group). Send them your start-up business
questions at www.workingfromhome.com or in
care of Entrepreneur.