Are you a designer of clothing, jewelry, motorcycles, gardens, cookware, or any other thousands of products that come to your way of expression? Our hats go off to you who sometimes through loneliness and without anyone boosting your ego for support soldier through to the other side. You may not be the hero of today but you could be the hero of tomorrow.
I would like to tell you about a hero designer from 35 years ago, my sister, may she rest in peace. Rio passed away from breast cancer, after a successful yet troubled career as an accessory leather designer. Even today her cloth belt and leather week-at-a-glance book designs are copied in high-end fashion shops around the globe. She had to eventually leave her business behind due to the ceaseless copying of her designs by others. There was no recourse that she had available because she never went to an attorney to copyright, patent, or trademark her designs. Like many of you designers she was a totally creative loving person who would not be able to imagine that after years of school and hard work others would just copy her designs and sell them without giving her the credit she deserved.
It was due to her misfortune in being taken advantage of and losing her business that I decided to copyright the shirt tie designs immediately upon starting Waltzing T Bear. I went to the law firm of Cantor Colburn because I was friends with a man whose son in law was the founder of that company. I am now recommending that you think about this for yourself.
From starting with copyrights, the law firm recommended a design patent, and then from that, we worked to acquire a trademark. Though this process is laborious and costly it will be fruitful with time. It has enabled Waltzing T Bear to contact Fortune 500 Company’s that unknowingly have infringed upon our trademarked intellectual property and work out contractual agreements that allow them to continue with their use of the shirt tie design. Since we are now a brand owner, Waltzing T Bear has companies coming to us to license the right to use our intellectual property designs instead of using them without any recourse or consequences.
If you look at the link page on our website you will see some references that may be of help to you. If there is anything we can do to assist you, we are willing to be of help, just call or email.