Important things to make note of
for all public relations practitioners
Intro.
Let's begin with Trademark...
The bigger the trademark the more protected it is. If another person's "original" creation, such as a business name, resembles another's with a large reputation then it may be protected under trademark law in order to protect that reputation. "A guy that uses the trade name 'Victor's Little Secret...' is likely to tarnish the famous Victoria's Secret mark." (Muller, youtube.com). This is called dilution by tarnishment. In other words, if a company has a trademark on something it's as though they are saying...
Next... copyright.
Copyright is a tricky subject, especially now with the worldwide web, internet, and invents like social media. But how can we know if a copyright law has been broken? First, it is important to have a clear understanding of what things can be protected under copyright laws, "Copyright law protects “original works of authorship,” and includes a wide variety of creative materials..." (Lasky, Edelman, & Keen). These materials could include books, magazines, songs, art, photography, videos, and television broadcasts.
It is also important to know what the rights of copyright entitle an individual to. For instance if the work is originally yours and you own the copyright to it then you can display it, reproduce it, create a derivative or it, and distribute copies of it. (Lasky, Edelman, & Keen). Similarly, if you have work that you do not own the copyright to, doing any of the actions previously stated may be considered infringements of the copyright laws. " DON'T: DUPLICATE COPYRIGHTED WORKS WITHOUT PERMISSION... DISTRIBUTE COPYRIGHTED WORKS WITHOUT PERMISSION" (Lasky, Edelman, & Keen). What you can do, however, is get the official authorization and permission methods to avoid legal repercussions.
In conclusion...
References
Dwilson, S.D. (n.d.). What Laws Affect Public Relations.
Lasky, M., Edelman, S., & Keen, S. (n.d.). How to Copy "Right" and How Not to Copy "Wrong"