This document discusses various intellectual property issues related to social media, including patents, trademarks, copyrights and more. It covers topics such as the definition of social media, the types of intellectual property (e.g. patents, copyrights, trademarks), requirements and protections for each type, as well as examples and case studies. The document is intended to provide an overview of intellectual property considerations for social media platforms and content.

1. Social Media IP Issues:Herein of Patents, Trademarks, Copyrights, Etc.Calhoun “Reb” ThomasThomas Law Firm803-748-0336CRT@ThomasFirm.com@KE2020, @KEventures

2. CC BY-NC-SAThese materials are provided under a BY-NC-SA Creative Commons LicenseAttribution – NonCommercial - ShareAlikeThis license lets you remix, tweak, and build upon this work non-commercially, as long as you credit me and you license any derivative works under these same termsSeptember 16, 20112

3. Social MediaWhat is it? Google yields 314M hitsWikipedia: Andreas Kaplan and Michael Haenlein define social media as "a group of Internet-based applications that build on the ideological and technological foundations of Web 2.0, and that allow the creation and exchange of user-generated content.“Facebookcompared to AmazonSeptember 16, 20113

4. IP or Intellectual PropertyUtility patents – for useful, novel and non-obvious inventionsDesign patents – for ornamental aspects of utilitarian objectsTrade secretsTrademarks, service marks, and trade dress rights for source of originCopyrightsSeptember 16, 20114

5. September 16, 20115Copyrights & PatentsArticle I Section 8 of our Constitution provides that “The Congress shall have the power … To promote the progress of science and useful arts, by securing for limited times to authors and inventors the exclusive right to their respective writings and discoveries”www.Copyright.govwww.USPTO.gov

6. September 16, 20116CopyrightsIn general, Title 17 U.S.C. 106 provides that the author of a work has the exclusive right to use, distribute, modify and display the workHowever, the copyright to a work belongs to an employer in the case of a “work made for hire”Employees vs independent contractors

7. September 16, 20117Copyrights“Work made for hire” and the independent contractor – get an assignment - not all works are coveredTerm of copyrightLife of the author plus 70 yearsWorks for hire – lesser of 95 years after publication or 100 years after creation

8. September 16, 20118CopyrightsProtection subsists in original works …Fixed in any tangible medium of expression, now known or later developed, from which they can be perceived, reproduced or otherwise communicated, either directly or with the aid of a machine or device.Expression vs idea

9. September 16, 20119CopyrightsSales of copyright protected goods subject to “First Sale” doctrineParody and “fair use” can trump the copyrightFair use factors: for criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, research - then you look at (1) purpose and character of use, (2) nature of the work, (3) amount copied, and (4) effect on market

10. September 16, 201110CopyrightsParody (think "Weird Al" Yankovic)Joint authorship – right to accountingRegistration advantages such as attorney fees, statutory damages, Infringement issuesActual vs statutory damages

11. September 16, 201111CopyrightsDigital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA)Making or trafficking in software or devices whose primary purpose is defeating technological measures that control access is illegal.Copyleft – claims the copyright but permits others to use, modify and redistribute on the same CopylefttermsCreative Commons Licenses

12. Facebook LicenseFor content that is covered by intellectual property rights, like photos and videos (IP content), you specifically give us the following permission, subject to your privacy and application settings: you grant us a non-exclusive, transferable, sub-licensable, royalty-free, worldwide license to use any IP content that you post on or in connection with Facebook (IP License). This IP License ends when you delete your IP content or your account unless your content has been shared with others, and they have not deleted it.Don’t write a book and put it on Facebook September 16, 201112

13. Facebook (non-copyright)https://www.facebook.com/legal/copyright.php?noncopyright_notice=1By submitting this notice, you declare under penalty of perjury that all of the information contained in this notice is accurate and that the use of your intellectual property described above, in the manner you have complained of, is not authorized by the rights owner, its agent, or the law.September 16, 201113

14. Facebook (Copyright claim)http://www.facebook.com/legal/copyright.php?copyright_notice=1By submitting this notice, you declare that you have a good faith belief that use of the copyrighted content described above, in the manner you have complained of, is not authorized by the copyright owner, its agent, or the law. You also declare that the information in this notice is accurate. And finally, you declare under penalty of perjury, that you are the owner or authorized to act on behalf of the owner of an exclusive copyright that is allegedly infringed.September 16, 201114

15. September 16, 201115TrademarksTrademarks are governed by Federal law, however states may also have trademark laws so long as they are not inconsistent with Federal lawwww.USPTO.gov/trademarksOften interrelated with state law entity naming statutes and unfair or deceptive business practices statutesA trademark identifies the source of origin of a good or service

16. September 16, 201116TrademarksSimilarly, a service mark identifies the source of origin of a serviceMarks are usually words or symbols used to identify the “goods and/or services” of the manufacturer or retailerLabel or the packaging should bear the trademark – service marks are usually displayed on advertising materials

17. September 16, 201117TrademarksThe best way to develop your mark is through useThe best way to protect your mark is by a Federal registrationUS vs most foreign countries – earliest usage matters vs first to file

18. September 16, 201118TrademarksUS trademark rights depend on use of the mark on the goods or in connection with the sale of the servicesUse based & intent to use filingsMust identify the “class” or “classes” you are filing in

19. September 16, 201119TrademarksArbitrary or fanciful marks are much better than descriptive or generic marksExamples (good & bad):KODAK for photographic equipmentJAVA for softwareSTARBUCKS for coffeeBED & BATH for selling bed & bath itemsQUIK-PRINT for copying services

20. September 16, 201120TrademarksMerely registering a mark as a domain name does not provide trademark rightsRegistering domain name involves entering into a contract“The registrant... represents that ... the selected domain name, to the best of the registrant's knowledge, does not interfere with or infringe upon the rights of any third party”

21. September 16, 201121TrademarksStart the trademark search process with several Internet searches using the major search engine sitesWhat if you discover another company is already using and/or registered the XYZ mark for its productDilution of a “famous” mark

22. September 16, 201122TrademarksFor a next stage preliminary screen, go to the US Trademark Office website at http://trademarks.uspto.govUnidym & CNI

23. September 16, 201123TrademarksSome famous examples of marks that had troubles are:Internet ExplorerDreamworksAmazon.com vs Amazon Bookstore, Inc.Victoria’s Secret vs Victor’s Little Secret

24. LamebookLamebook vs Facebook – preemptive strike just happens to garner more publicity, then settlement with promise not to register (would that have even been likely, maybe just the Facebook fig leaf attempt to justify their infringement assertions)September 16, 201124

25. TwitterAccording to a recent Mashable article, the name Twitter was picked out of a hat. A small group of employees from Odeo, the San Francisco podcasting startup where Twitter initially began, had a brainstorming session. They were trying to come up with names that fit with the theme of a mobile phone buzzing an update in your pocket. After narrowing down the options (which included Jitter and Twitter), they wrote them down, put them in a hat, and let fate decide. Fate decided on Twitter (because clearly asking someone if they saw your latest "jeep" is just weird).September 16, 201125

26. Twitter Goods & ServicesIC 38 G & S: Telecommunication services, namely, providing online and telecommunication facilities for real-time interaction between and among users of computers, mobile and handheld computers, and wired and wireless communication devices; enabling individuals to send and receive messages via email, instant messaging or a website on the internet in the field of general interest; providing on-line chat rooms and electronic bulletin boards for transmission of messages among users in the field of general interest; providing an online community forum for registered users to share information, photos, audio and video content [ abut ] * about * themselves, their likes and dislikes and daily activities, to get feedback from their peers, to form virtual communities, and to engage in social networking. IC 41 G & S: Providing on-line journals, namely, blogs featuring user-defined content in the field of social-networking. IC 45 G & S: Providing a website on the internet for the purpose of social networking.FIRST USE IN COMMERCE: 20060831September 16, 201126

27. September 16, 201127PatentsSimilar to Copyright law in that Patent law is Federal law, states may not legislate in this areaA patent is an intangible form of personal propertyPatents for “Social Media” inventions? Google.com/patents = 2,210 hitsPatents only have national effect

28. September 16, 201128Patents StatisticsOver 8 million utility patents have been issued by the US Patent OfficeThe Patent Office issues approximately 4,000 utility patentsThe Patent Office receives about 500K patent applications every yearThe average patent takes about 3 years to go from non-provisional application to issuance

29. September 16, 201129PatentsGranted to an individual or individualswho invents or discoversa process (method),machine,article of manufacture,composition of matter, orimprovement thereof

30. September 16, 201130PatentsThat is new, useful and non-obvious to one of ordinary skill in the artMust be an “invention” – not just an idea – you have an invention when you have complete conception and reduction to practiceA patent is the opposite of trade secret in a sense – must disclose the invention

31. September 16, 201131PatentsMost focus on “utility” patents, but design patents may be relevant for ornament aspects in a fashion similar to trademarksThe term of a utility patent ends 20 years after the date of application but design patents are still good for only 14 years from issuanceA patent provides the holder with the right to exclude others from making, using, offering for sale, or selling the patented invention – it is an offensive weapon that the owner must assert – too many clients think government will enforce their patent

32. September 16, 201132PatentsEmployee and independent contractor assignment issuesPatent searches and prior art – anything that an examining agent can rely on to reject a claim in a pending applicationThe inventor(s) must file the patent application – can be a provisional, non-provisional or PCT application

33. September 16, 201133Patents - AIAThe Leahy-Smith America Invents Act or AIA (previously known as the Patent Reform Act of 2011) is scheduled to be signed today. It is 152 pages. No, I have not read the whole act yet. Probably the most notable change to our law is the move from “first to invent” to “first to file” – thus becoming more like the rest of the world.

34. Patents - AIABest Mode: On the date of enactment of the AIA, failure of best mode will no longer be a basis for adjudging a patent invalid or unenforceable. Dis-Joinder: A second litigation-focused issue that goes into force on the date of enactment is the new dis-joinder provision. Section 19 of the AIA bars a plaintiff from suing multiple defendants in a single lawsuit if the only justification for the joinder is that all defendants are alleged to have infringed the same patent. The law would also bar a court from consolidating cases for the same purpose absent waiver from the multiple defendants. The idea behind the provision is simply to raise the litigation costs of non-practicing entities who allege that their patents are being infringed by a broad spectrum of corporate defendants.September 16, 201134

35. Patents - AIAUSPTO has set up a website describing the implementation procedures they will use in preparing and circulating the new rules.http://www.uspto.gov/patents/init_events/aia_implementation.jsp#heading-2This site has a lot of information including a copy of the Act and a section-by-section summary.September 16, 201135

36. Interesting CasesBilski – The Supreme Court changed Federal Circuit’s formulation of the legal test for patentability from being exclusively “machine-or-transformation” to a broader analysis with greater flexibility for the courts to deny a business method patent when appropriateMicrosoft v. i4i – Microsoft could not convince the court to lower the standard of review on appeal to a preponderance of the evidence. The Supreme Court was straight to the point - “We consider whether §282 requires an invalidity defense to be proved by clear and convincing evidence. We hold that it does." September 16, 201136

37. Social Media MarketingABA “Law Firm Marketing Strategies Conference November 8-9 in PhiladelphiaThree big name technology lawyers—Dennis Kennedy, Tom Mighell and Tim Stanley—discuss the impact and use of social media.Also, check out Dennis Crouch at www.PatentlyO.com (great IP blog)September 16, 201137

38. Links to recent articles, etcGet Your Social Media Under Control http://www.americanbar.org/newsletter/publications/law_practice_today_home/law_practice_today_archive/august11/get_your_social_media_under_control.htmlReal Networking In A Virtual World http://www.totalattorneys.com/power-chat/real-networking-in-a-virtual-world/Great quote – a Facebook page is not a social media strategySeptember 16, 201138

39. Aditional resourcesMichelle Golden recently authored Social Media Strategies for Professionals and Their Firms: The Guide to Establishing Credibility and Accelerating Relationships (Wiley, 2011) and she maintains a blog at www.goldenpractices.com.Kevin O'Keefe, CEO of LexBlog, Inc. and author of Real Lawyers Have Blogs, speaks with callers and attendees from the Get a Life conference on his session, 'Effective Blogging and Social Media‘ http://www.totalattorneys.com/total-expert-radio/social-media/?source=facebook-dripSeptember 16, 201139

40. Google+Google+ Hangouts (public performance of a copyrighted work for 9 others??)Hosting a cooking show for small specialized audience??Live mini-concerts (date, time zone & country), “electronics show and tell” sessions, interconnections with YouTube, a G+ cooking school ??September 16, 201140

41. More Uses For Google+Collaborative codingCustomer servicetweetified, facebookized, Google plussedData Liberation Front (supported by Google, fighting with Facebook)Your complete guide to Google+ http://howto.cnet.com/8301-11310_39-20084975-285/your-complete-guide-to-google/September 16, 201141

42. Recent ABA articlesWhy Lawyers Should Plus the Google+ Projecthttp://www.americanbar.org/content/newsletter/publications/law_practice_today_home/law_practice_today_archive/september11/why_lawyers_should_plus_the_google_project.htmlAlso Not Your Marketer's Social Media: Ten Ways Lawyers Can Benefit from Non-Marketing Uses of Social Media http://www.americanbar.org/content/newsletter/publications/law_practice_today_home/law_practice_today_archive/september11/not_your_marketers_social_media.htmlSeptember 16, 201142

43. CloudWhat is the cloud? Think of it as on-demand computing power – like the electricity grid, it is there when you need it (in theory)Basically large companies control the cloud through large data centers and the large networks that provide the interconnections (public utilities idea)Early thinkers envisioned in 1960’sSeptember 16, 201143

44. CloudThe use of the “cloud” symbol was an abstraction for complicated (an typically as yet undefined) networks of computers and their interconnectionsKind of like the cartoon blackboard with the long, complicated formulas leading ultimately to the “miracle occurs here” joke that indicates no one knows how it worksSeptember 16, 201144

45. Cloud and SaaSFamous quote from Thomas Watson, first IBM CEO, as to the worldwide market for computersSaaS = Software as a ServiceNew buzz phrase for something that has been around for a long time – outsourcing the operations of a data center to a shared facility with the software license embeddedSeptember 16, 201145