Crash Course in Creative Law, Part 6: There’s a reason you became a designer, and it probably didn’t have anything to do with legalese. You’re an expert in color, fabric, floor plans and furniture schemes, not intellectual property and trademark protection. If you’re already confused, don’t fret. Angie Avard Turner, an actual lawyer for creative business owners who also owned a seven-figure wholesale company and is married to a designer, is here to be your legal sherpa. In this multi-part series, Angie will take you on a deep dive that runs through the most frequent issues designers face, like when you really ought to seek legal advice and how to choose the right attorney. Clients can be difficult enough, and legal troubles shouldn’t slow you down.
Your brand is taking off like gangbusters stateside, and you’re ready to take your show on the road. In part VI, creative lawyer Angie Turner is here to walk you through how to cover your intellectual property (IP) when you’re ready to move beyond the American market with a deep dive on international laws and regulations. Note: this is a 200-level course for those who have already taken Parts III, IV and V of the series.
In this course, you will learn:
- What parts of your intellectual property are covered abroad, and what rights you have as an IP owner.
- When and how to file for international IP registration.
- How to prevent knock-offs, and how to avoid infringing on another brand.
After this class, you will have:
- An appreciation of how protecting your brand and designs is affected by international law.
- A list of considerations to help plan to move your brand or designs beyond the United States.
Additional Information
This webinar is conducted through AdobeConnect. All you need to join is reliable internet access and computer speakers with good volume. Instructions on how to join will be sent out the night before and morning of the webinar.
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BOH Insider members looking to take this class, please email ktrepanier@businessofhome.com to be added to the registration list.
Angie Avard Turner, a native of Thomasville, GA, is an attorney who loves pattern and color. After over 20 years in retail, 14 years in wholesale, and 8 years in licensing, Angie decided to give the people what they were asking for—an attorney who was familiar with the needs of creative entrepreneurs. Angie earned her law degree from Western Michigan University Thomas M. Cooley Law School in Lansing, Michigan in 2000, and is currently is enrolled at her alma mater where she completed more than half of the coursework to receive an LLM in Intellectual Property. As a designer, artist, author, blogger and entrepreneur, she understands the legal needs of creative businesses because she owns and operates one. Angie has always loved being creative; since beginning a wholesale gift manufacturing company back in 2003, when people learned she was an attorney too, they were very quick to ask all sorts of legal questions pertaining to the industry. Angie believes that her entrepreneurial experience coupled with her legal education uniquely situate her to give an interesting twist on how the law can affect one's creative endeavors. Angie has been a legal presenter at the Atlanta Gift Show, Southern C Summit Alt Summer 2019 in Palm Springs, at Jennifer and Jennifer Alwood’s Equipped Conference, at the Makers Collective Summit in Greenville, SC. She’s written for Gift Shop magazine and Southern C blog, and is regularly featured at AmericasMart and ADAC in Atlanta. In 2018 she launched her latest endeavor, Prep’d for Success, a one stop on line shop for creative business resources.
