Legal Question in Technology Law in Illinois

Re: Website to take business away from bookstores

Hello,

It appears you are in need of more help than can be provided in an email reply. A disclaimer would be a good start. If you are located in the Chicago, Illinois area please feel free to contact me if you would like more assistance than I can provide here.

Thanks,

Kevin Thompson

Re: Website to take business away from bookstores

I disagree with the prior post by attorney Thompson, who appears to be looking for business rather than giving advice.

I think your proposed book listing site is not a problem legally, provided you put a disclaimer that says what your posting says--i.e. that you do not get directly involved in the exchange, and merely serve as a listing source. You are not much different in that regard than the classified section of the campus newsletter or local town newspaper.

The legal issues you probably have to address are domain name protection, trademark protection, possible patent protection (doubtful unless you have a uniques business approach to this), listing contract language, and the disclaimer. These needs probably mean you should see an intellectual property lawyer, whether me or someone else, to be sure those are protected properly. Also, you need to see a business start-up lawyer to address business entity formation issues if this becomes more than a minor business for you.

Sounds like a good service for students. Congratulations on your initiative.

Re: Website to take business away from bookstores

I've been a bit behind in responding to the inquiries, so I apologize for the delay. I merely wanted to echo the comments made by attorney Burdick, including, unfortunately, those regarding attorney Thompson.

-- Kenneth J. Ashman; Ashman Law Offices, LLC; 312-648-1700