Legal Question in Intellectual Property in Florida

Intellectual Property Rights

I have worked for a company for eleven years and am currently working on a book about my time spent there. While the story is mostly lighthearted and comical in nature, the name of the company is used in my book.

My question for you is - Do I violate the company's intellectual property rights by using its name in my book. I know that the First Amendment protects my rights to tell my story ... BUT ... I also realize that there could be consequences for doing so. After all, I don't have a stock price to worry about.

I have researched the topic and found no cases where a company sued an employee for writing a book. I realize that the company would be more likely to sue a publisher before taking little ol' me to court and risking the publicity. But if I were to self-publish and self-promote, it could be a risk worth taking. And no one but myself could be held liable.

Here's another question for you - If I don't sell it for profit, but publish it online for readers to view it free of charge, would I still violate their intellectual property rights?

Any feedback would be greatly appreciated.

John


Asked on 8/02/07, 10:26 pm

1 Answer from Attorneys
Johm Smith tom's

Re: Intellectual Property Rights

There are a lot of issues to consider, such as defamation, contractual obligations, etc. You should have an attorney vet your book before you pay to publish. A publisher would insist on this step.

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Answered on 8/02/07, 10:51 pm


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