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From Karen Saunders

Your Branding, Marketing & Self-Publishing Coach



Archive for the ‘copyright’ Category

December 28th, 2015 | By: Karen Saunders

How to Trademark a Logo, Brand Name or Business Name

After reading about another local trademark infringement case, I thought I would provide basic facts and information on how to trademark a logo, brand name or business name. So I listened to a presentation by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), and have posted my notes below. But first, here’s a little background on the local case. In November 2015 Jerry Cunningham, the owner of Q Publishing, the parent company of a 40-year-old magazine, OUT FRONT, filed suit against Outfront Media, Inc., a billboard company. The name and the logos look very similar. Although OUT FRONT magazine has been using…

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October 31st, 2013 | By: Karen Saunders

20 Copyright and Clearance Tips for Self-Publishers

A recent Colorado Independent Publishers Association meeting featured copyright and permissions presentations by John R. Tandler of Ryley, Carlock and Applewhite, and Joyce L. Miller of The Copyright Detective. Here are my notes from this very informative meeting on copyright clearance Not everything can be copyrighted. Only items that can be “fixed in a tangible medium” which then can be reproduced. For example, music that is recorded onto a tape or printed on a sheet, words that are printed on paper, a painting that is on canvas, a photo that is printed on paper or stored digitally all can be copyrighted….

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October 28th, 2012 | By: Karen Saunders

Guidelines for a Properly Formatted Manuscript

Sometimes our team will receive a partial manuscript or a manuscript that has not been edited or proofread. If a self-publisher provides us with a properly formatted manuscript, we can save them time and money on editing and proofreading services. Once the manuscript has been edited and proofread we can move on to the design and layout stage. Your manuscript should be formatted in a typical 8.5″ x 11″ MS Word document so it is easy for you and our editor to review, markup and make text changes. While your manuscript is in the editing stage it will NOT resemble a book page layout. Our graphic designer will do that later during…

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November 29th, 2010 | By: Karen Saunders

Copyright Tips for Self-Publishers and Authors

This compilation of copyright tips for self-publishers was written by Joyce Miller, one of the experts on my team who specializes in copyright clearance and permissions tracking. Here is her article: In today’s marketplace, whether you are a web designer, an author, a marketing specialist, or any other kind of creative professional, it is imperative that you have some knowledge of copyright laws and understand how to protect your work. Below are some copyright tips for self-publishers. Whether your valued work is a book, an image, a blog entry, or a website page, you should place a copyright notice on it that says to…

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August 31st, 2010 | By: Karen Saunders

Self-Publishers: How to Get Your ISBN and LCCN Numbers

In my daily business I’ve made a couple of observations about my prospects and clients. When an author embarks on the self-publishing path he or she usually has never heard of ISBN or LCCN numbers. Secondly, most first-time self-publishers forget to include the copyright page in their manuscript. This is the most important page in your book. It contains language that protects your intellectual property, has the copyright date, publishing company name, contact information, and has the ISBN and LCCN numbers imprinted on it. Here’s what those acronyms mean and instructions on how complete these essential tasks. How to Get Your ISBN Number The first item on your book production checklist is to order your ISBN number (International Standard Book…

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