Services
Business & Entertainment Law
Attorney West Seattle provides you an opportunity to have an attorney represent your interests in every stage of your business. This includes transactional business documents, business litigation, entertainment law, and copyright & trademark services. Attorney West Seattle specializes in business contracts, business formations, asset purchases, acquisitions, entertainment contracts, and intellectual property issues, including licensing protection of copyrights, trademarks, patents and trade secrets.
Business:
Attorney West Seattle provides legal advice during all phases of your business, including business formation, licensing agreements, contracts, buy/sell agreements, or an acquisition of your business. You will gain the peace of mind knowing your contract or business deal is managed by a world-class attorney.
Business Formation: Form the right business entity for your business and your goals.
Buy/Sell Agreement: Get the right terms to complete an acquisition or sale of your business.
Asset Purchase Agreement: Avoid costly litigation from poorly drafted asset purchase agreement.
Contracts: Draft clear contracts that protect your rights.
Collections: Collect the debt that is owed to your business.
Commercial Real Estate: Commercial lease drafting, negotiation and evictions.
Litigation:
Attorney West Seattle has a history of successfully advising small and mid-sized businesses through commercial litigation. Attorney West Seattle represents local businesses in disputes here in Washington, and in jurisdictions around the United States. Our firm is prepared to pursue claims in any jurisdiction your lawsuit is filed.
Litigation and Litigation Alternatives
Attorney West Seattle is a result driven commercial litigation firm. We prosecute and also defend businesses in commercial litigation matters. Attorney West Seattle understands that any commercial litigation can threaten the existence or continuation of a business. Commercial litigation costs can be on the forefront of any business watching the bottom line, but in some cases, it is an expense that is necessary for continued operations and survival and even success. At Attorney West Seattle, we strive to provide exceptional legal services in a cost effective approach. When there is threat of a lawsuit, Attorney West Seattle, can be called upon to help contain the dispute in an attempt to avoid litigation. If litigation is required, Attorney West Seattle will vigorously pursue your interests while seeking to minimize cost and expense through early resolution and alternative dispute resolution. If the matter does goes to trial, Attorney West Seattle, is the fighting advocate you want on your side.
Partner Disputes
Breach of Contract
Employee Issues
Trade Secret and/or Intellectual Property Misappropriation
Minority Shareholder Law Suit
Whether you need to defend a lawsuit, collect on debts or accounts receivable, or recover a stolen business opportunity, Attorney West Seattle offers advanced strategies and personalized care to serve your business litigation needs. As experienced small business counsel and trial attorneys, our expertise in litigation can give you the upper hand.
Entertainment:
Entertainment and Commercial Media Contracts.
Representation of Entertainment and Media Clients Relating to Rights Clearance.
Negotiate and Prepare Media Licenses, Film Rights, Publishing, Movie, Video and Other Contracts.
Defending/Enforcing Rights of Publicity and Privacy.
Negotiate, Prepare and Review Non-disclosure Agreements.
Employment Agreements and Work for Hire Agreements.
Copyright & Trademarks
Importance of Copyright Registration
There are many reasons why it is important to register the copyright in a video[1] or a collection of videos. First, registration helps limit the likelihood that a copyrighted work is “innocently” infringed by someone else. Registration provides constructive notice of copyrights to others. Second, if someone does infringe your work, registration is required prior to bringing an infringement lawsuit.[2] Registration is required in order to collect up to $150,000 of statutory damages plus attorneys’ fees.[3] In short, copyright registration is important if one wishes to protect their valued works. Attorney West Seattle recommends that you register all your important works.
Attorney West Seattle offers a number of resources to clients who wish to license their work products via licensed distribution channels. Attorney West Seattle work ranges from documentary films to computer software to trademark licenses. In regards to media, a license allows a producer (the intellectual property rights holder also called the licensor) to sell their media by charging a user (the licensee) for the permission to use their work. Licenses protect the proprietary rights the producer has in his content and gives legal security to the buyer/licensee. Attorney West Seattle offers a collection of standard business licenses, releases, and agreements to help clients begin the negotiation step. For further inquiries please contact council at 206 745 3738 or eric@attorneywestseattle.com.
Copyright Services:
Copyright Counseling, Registration and Protection
Work-For-Hire Agreements
Ownership and Use Issues
Internet Copyright Issues
Non-Infringement Opinions
Copyright Contract Negotiation (Music, Movies, Entertainment, etc.)
Copyright Strategies for Media Companies
Filing and Prosecution of Copyright Applications
Protection and Enforcement of Copyrights
Trademark Services:
Domestic and International Trademark Counseling and Registration.
Selection, Use, and Enforcement of Trademarks
Trademark Searching, Opinions and Risk Analysis
International Trademark Applications, Management and Strategy
Filing and Prosecution of Federal, State and International Trademark Registrations
Management and Maintenance of Trademark Applications, Registrations, Renewals and Licenses Worldwide
Prosecuting and Defending Oppositions, Cancellations and Appeals Before the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board
[1] The federal copyright statute uses the term “work” to describe copyrightable material. Videos are included under “works”. According to 17 U.S.C. § 101, a “work” is created when it is fixed in a copy or phonorecord for the first time; where a work is prepared over a period of time, the portion of it that has been fixed at any particular time constitutes the work as of that time, and where the work has been prepared in different versions, each version constitutes a separate work.
[2] 17 U.S.C. § 411; See also, U.S. Copyright Office, Copyright Basics, Circular Title 1 (2011).
[3] 17 U.S.C. § 412; 17 U.S.C. § 505; 17 U.S.C. § 504(c)(2). See U.S. Copyright Office, Copyright Registration for Works of the Visual Arts, Circular Title 40 (2010), “To collect attorneys’ fees or statutory damages, registration has to be done before the infringement occurs or within three months of publication. If infringement occurs after the three month window but before applicant has submitted a registration deposit, the applicant can still register copyrights and file suit, but they will not be eligible to ask for statutory damages and attorneys’ fees.” Id. See Addendum C for further discussion of when attorneys’ fees are awardable without proper copyright registration.