Elizabeth Plitzuweit - Gain an Understanding of Intellectual Property
As a copyright and trademark attorney for more than 12 years, Elizabeth Plitzuweit has worked on thousands of cases for individuals and businesses. At the William Mitchell College of Law, she specialized in copyright and trademark (under intellectual property law), and ever since she graduated in 2007, has excelled in the field. She is considered by many as a star in the profession, especially for her knowledge on copyright and trademark infringement, application, use, and protection. In her experience, Elizabeth Plitzuweit often finds it necessary to explain the difference between copyright and trademark. A copyright provides protection to tangible works in art, design, drama, film, literature, or music. A copyright gives the author of an original form of work legal ownership of the creation. A copyright comes into existence as soon as the idea takes a tangible form. Trademarks, on the other hand, protect logos, slogans, names or any identifying features (even a combination of words and logos) that distinguish one company/individual's products or services from that of another. Examples of companies and famous brands that have created strong branding identities include Nike, Google, McDonald's and Coca-Cola, to name a few.
Importance of legal help in intellectual property matters If you are new to the concept of intellectual property, whether as an individual or business, but are in the process of creating one (by writing a book, rolling out a product, coding a computer program, among other examples), it is important you seek legal help as early as possible in the development process. In the current world, intellectual property is almost like currency: it can be bought, sold or used to generate trust around a product, in effect assuring the owner of potential revenue from sales of the product. However, failing to acknowledge the importance of engaging expert help in the matter might lead to complexities down the road and even loss of revenue. The ubiquitous smiley face, used by millions around the world, is an example of intellectual property whose artist failed to register its copyright. Once that image fell into the public domain, anyone could make use of it.
If the artist had realized the importance of registering for a copyright, they might have made a lot of revenue from its use. Intellectual property law is complex, and only few attorneys are as skilled and knowledgeable as Elizabeth Plitzuweit. It involves knowledge of media, means of distribution, and engages many parties (dealers, publishers) while crossing international boundaries. It’s a testament to Elizabeth's hard work and commitment to success that she has been successful in her career for more than a decade.