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Tag Archives: Copyright infringement

Creativity, Originality and Copyright Law
Sharon Givoni Consulting Copyright, Intellectual Property
There is a lot of information involved when it comes to creativity, originality and copyright law. Clients often ask us what it would take to assert copyright in their drawings, artistic works or logos. The answer is simple. The first step is you need the work to be original in the sense that the copyright […]

Coincidental or Copy? Copyright Infringement and Music
Sharon Givoni Consulting Intellectual Property
Copyright Infringement and Music When it comes to copyright infringement and music, perhaps one of the most important questions asked is whether the alleged copy is a substantial reproduction of the original. This article considers the main principles of copyright law when it comes to songs and critques a number of important musical works. We […]

Can You Protect Your Book Title? Copyright and Trade Mark
Sharon Givoni Consulting Intellectual Property, Protecting ideas
How to Protect Your Book Title In our law firm, we often get asked by authors whether and how they should protect their book title. Sometimes the problem is that two people in the world have the same book title for a different book. Other times authors just wish to exercise caution. In order to […]

A Short Guide to Copyright Law in Australia
Sharon Givoni Consulting Arts and design, Copyright, Intellectual Property, Protecting ideas, Street art
Only one thing is impossible for God: to find any sense in any copyright law on the planet.[1] – MARK TWAIN As the famous quote by nineteenth-century author Mark Twain suggests, and this guide will demonstrate, copyright may be a complex area of the law, but the underlying message is quite simple: don’t copy! The […]
Close your eyes, and give me the coke bottle
Sharon Givoni Consulting Consumer Law, Food Law, Intellectual Property, Packaging, Protecting ideas, Trade marks
How to avoid legal issues when it comes to packaging Attention all packaging designers, this is for you. Before you launch your new product with shiny new packaging, it is important to consider whether you could be infringing someone else’s trade mark rights, engaging in misleading or deceptive conduct or passing off. In Australia, aspects […]
Why being ‘pretty sure’ is not enough to justify threats of copyright infringement
Sharon Givoni Consulting Copyright, Intellectual Property
Takeaway tips Don’t take matters into your own hands if you think someone has copied your work. Don’t make your copyright infringement claims public. If you think your copyright has been infringed, seek legal advice right away. In 2015, a copyright infringement dispute arose 6 years after a British woman, Sarah Scurr, entered a photo […]
Street and Photography
Sharon Givoni Consulting Photography
Intellectual property lawyer, Sharon Givoni works with professional photographers. While many of her cases involve the photographer taking legal action, they can also easily find themselves as the defendant. One example is when photographing street art. Sometimes copyright law can prevent you from taking photos of street art if the effect of this means that […]
Legally Speaking: Street Art (Part 2)
Sharon Givoni Consulting Street art
Did you know that you could infringe copyright in a painting if it features in the background of a photograph which is used for commercial purposes? Yes, true. The same applies to street art and even graffiti. If you reproduce an image of it in a book, newspaper, magazine or online that could actually breach […]
Print & Pattern Protection
Sharon Givoni Consulting Retail and fashion Law
In the fashion industry and while the basic rule to remember is simply “do not copy”, what will amount to copying in any given situation can vary on the case.” This article explores the topic in light of some recent cases on point looking at Seafolly and Cotton On case studies by way of example. […]
Understanding copyright risks for printers
Sharon Givoni Consulting Arts and design, Copyright, Intellectual Property
In this article, Sharon Givoni is interviewed by “Australian Printer” magazine about the risks of being liable for copyright infringement by simply photocopying or printing someone else’s artwork. Copyright risks can be minimised by taking some very simple steps. Read on to find out what these steps are. Read more… This article first appeared in […]