This week, I have been looking at my own studio practice and what that is going to look like. I have been thinking mostly about names and what designation I want to give it. Through teaching I have my own designer instagram account which I use to show my own work and help to inspire my learners. I have this account under the name LSJ designs which is a homage to my family and the combination of Storey and Jessop – my two family names. I quite like the idea of naming my studio LSJ and having it as these three letters that mean the world to me. I am continuing to look at the business plan and I think I am slowly getting there. This part of the assignment is majorly corporate and still feels very scary and I think I am still having that feeling of walking on egg shells with this project. So with that in mind, I am continuing the progression of the plan and hopefully will get somewhere with it.
Notes from this weeks lectures and reading
- Check the UK IPO (United Kingdom Intellectual Property Office) when you are coming up with names for clients or for your own business.
- If you are drawing heavy inspiration from something or someone that doesn’t belong to you, tread carefully
- if it has been wholly done independently, you’re in the clear
- Document your work so if you are accused of copy, you have evidence.
- Keep records of conversations between you and the client
- evidence gets looked at in forensic detail if an issue arrises
- emails with dates
- keep documents
- keep files neat and tidy so they can be referred back if needed
- How can a graphic designer protect themselves?
- document the process from start to finish and beyond
- Designers are protected through unregistered rights
- these automatically come into effect when you sit down and do the work.
- by doing the work, a creative doesn’t need to do anything to give arise to the rights to their own work.
- Protecting those rights is what is important.
- it is critical that contracts are laid out and everyone knows where they stand and they can do with the outcome.
- Get contracts signed right from the start. Do not design something and then decided who is responsible for the outcome.
- GET DECISIONS IN WRITING!!!!!
A GUIDEBOOK TO INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY: PATENTS, TRADEMARKS. COPYRIGHTS AND DESIGNS
PATENTS
- A patent is granted to protect an article that is essentially better than what came before it.
- I an extreme case, a patent can be wide enough to represent a big enough advance over earlier ideas to give its owner complete control over a new industry
- Factors that affect a patent
- How new the product is
- how important it is
- how long protection is needed
DESIGN RIGHTS
- The rights over the shape and decoration of an article
UNREGISTERED DESIGN RIGHTS
- Short term protection
- arises without the need for special registration or application (like copyright)
- it only prevents copying – not if an individual comes up with the same design independently.
REGISTERED DESIGN RIGHTS
- Must be done before shown to anyone.
- Protects if an individual comes up with the same design independently without copying
COPYRIGHT
- Designed to protect literary, artistic and musical work as well as other products loosely labelled entertainment industry.
- It comes into affect as soon as the work is recorded without the need for formalities.
PERIODS OF PROTECTION
- A patent lasts 20 years from the date of filing
- Copyright – lasts the life of the author plus 70 years
- Unregistered design rights – expires after 10 years if the design is marketed within the first 5 years
- Registered design rights – lats 5 years from application and can last up to 25 years if the fees are paid.
LSJ DESIGNS 
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