This series highlights the legal complexities of co-ownership of intellectual property — copyrights, trademarks and patents. The assets involved can be as varied as brand names, trademarks and logos, as well as creative works such as songs, artwork, plays, films, music, symbols, inventions and written materials. Co-ownership issues span all industries and affect individuals, collaborators, startups, contractors and established businesses. Special attention should be paid to ownership issues when your employment changes, when you start a company, collaborate with others or enter into an independent contracting relationship, as it is common in these situations to encounter ambiguities in ownership.

The creation of a co-ownership relationship and the rights and responsibilities of the co-owners can be complicated. Guidance from legal counsel and written agreements clarifying the relationship are important from the start to avoid uncomfortable, distracting and costly disputes later, even with trusted collaborators. In this series, we address:

Copyrights and Co-Ownership

Trademarks and Co-Ownership

Contracting Checklist for Intellectual Property Co-Ownership Agreements