<div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div><span style="font-size:16px;font-family:"times new roman",serif"><span class="gmail_default" style="font-family:"times new roman",serif">Dear Jessica,</span></span></div><div><font face="times new roman, serif"><span style="font-size:16px"><br></span></font></div><div><font face="times new roman, serif"><span style="font-size:16px"><span class="gmail_default" style="font-family:"times new roman",serif">These are just my off-the-cuff thoughts, but I don't see anything wrong with the sponsor being the applicant. The podcasters clearly seem to be employees of the sponsor, and so are presumably acting as agents of the sponsor in creating the podcast. As such, those same employees can be the ones who are ensuring the quality of the goods and services on behalf of the sponsor, and so the sponsor owns the mark.</span></span></font></div><div><font face="times new roman, serif"><span style="font-size:16px"><br></span></font></div><div><font face="times new roman, serif"><span style="font-size:16px"><span class="gmail_default" style="font-family:"times new roman",serif">That said, I also don't see a problem with the client group bringing their own IP to the table, so to speak. The "group" is not a separate busienss entity as such, but the clients as individuals can jointly own a mark and then continue using that mark while being under the aegis of the sponsor for financial and administrative purposes. Although, that gets harder to support if the podcast only began after the client group got hooked up with the sponsor. </span></span></font><span style="font-family:"times new roman",serif;font-size:16px">Related question, would the podcasts themselves be considered works made for hire under copyright law? Would the sponsor think so?<span class="gmail_default" style="font-family:"times new roman",serif"> That might help to inform the answer, perhaps.</span></span></div><div><font face="times new roman, serif"><span style="font-size:16px"><br></span></font></div><div><font face="times new roman, serif"><span style="font-size:16px"><span class="gmail_default" style="font-family:"times new roman",serif">I suspect that a lot of this might turn on the contract between the sponsor and the client group, the timing of when the podcast started <i>viz ą viz</i> the client group beginning to work with the sponsor, and maybe even </span></span></font><span style="font-family:"times new roman",serif;font-size:16px">the relevant jurisdiction's labor laws<span class="gmail_default" style="font-family:"times new roman",serif">. But, again, just spitballing. I look forward to hearing from others with better ideas. It's certainly an interesting bit of puzzle.</span></span><font face="times new roman, serif"><span style="font-size:16px"><br></span></font><span style="font-size:16px;font-family:"times new roman",serif"><span class="gmail_default" style="font-family:"times new roman",serif"><div><br clear="all"></div><div><div dir="ltr" class="gmail_signature"><div dir="ltr"><div style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:tahoma;font-size:medium"><span style="font-family:"times new roman",serif"><span style="font-size:16px">Cheers,</span></span></div><div style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:tahoma;font-size:medium"><span style="font-family:"times new roman",serif"><span style="font-size:16px"> </span></span></div><div style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:tahoma;font-size:medium"><span style="font-family:"times new roman",serif"><span style="color:rgb(255,102,0);font-size:12pt">Sam<span> Castree, III</span></span></span></div><div style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:tahoma;font-size:medium"><span style="font-family:"times new roman",serif"><span style="color:rgb(255,102,0);font-size:12pt"><br></span></span></div><div style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-size:medium"><font face="times new roman, serif"><span style="color:rgb(255,102,0);font-size:12pt"><span><i>Sam Castree Law, LLC</i></span></span></font></div><div style="color:rgb(34,34,34)"><font face="times new roman, serif"><span style="color:rgb(255,102,0)"><span><span style="font-size:12pt"><i>3421 W. Elm St.</i></span></span></span></font></div><div style="color:rgb(34,34,34)"><font face="times new roman, serif"><span style="color:rgb(255,102,0)"><span><span style="font-size:12pt"><i>McHenry, IL 60050</i></span></span></span></font></div><div style="color:rgb(34,34,34)"><font face="times new roman, serif"><span style="color:rgb(255,102,0)"><span><span style="font-size:12pt"><i>(815) 344-6300</i></span></span></span></font></div></div></div></div></span><br></span></div></div><br></div></div></div><br><div class="gmail_quote"><div dir="ltr" class="gmail_attr">On Thu, Nov 14, 2024 at 2:53\u202fPM Jessica R. Friedman via E-trademarks <<a href="mailto:e-trademarks@oppedahl-lists.com">e-trademarks@oppedahl-lists.com</a>> wrote:<br></div><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0px 0px 0px 0.8ex;border-left:1px solid rgb(204,204,204);padding-left:1ex"><div class="msg-5768343650597521190">
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<span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;color:rgb(22,62,100)"><span style="color:windowtext">I represent a group that produces podcasts under a Model A fiscal sponsorship
and wants to register its name. A fiscal sponsor is a nonprofit organization that provides fiduciary oversight, financial management, and other administrative services to charitable start-up operations.
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<span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;color:rgb(22,62,100)"><span style="color:windowtext">Under Model A, the group being sponsored becomes part of the sponsor company;
it doesn\u2019t form its own corporate entity. So, the two people who work for my client\u2019s group receive salaries on a W-2 from the sponsor entity, and the sponsor has to sign all contracts that the group wants to enter into. But the sponsor entity has no input
into or right of approval over the podcast content or any other aspect of the actual podcast services.
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<span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;color:rgb(22,62,100)"><span style="color:windowtext">Who is the proper trademark applicant: the sponsor entity or the individual
members of the group? It seems to me that as long as the members of the group are employees of the sponsor, the sponsor entity has to be the trademark applicant, but since the sponsor itself has nothing to do with the quality of the podcasts, this just seems
wrong. <u></u><u></u></span></span></li></ul>
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<span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;color:rgb(22,62,100)"><span style="color:windowtext">Has anyone had experience with this situation, or does anyone else have any
thoughts?<u></u><u></u></span></span></li></ul>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:8pt;font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,51,102)">Jessica R. Friedman</span><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:black"><u></u><u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:8pt;font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,51,102)">Attorney at Law<u></u><u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:8pt;font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,51,102)">300 East 59 Street, Ste. 2406<u></u><u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:8pt;font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,51,102)">New York, NY 10022</span><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:black"><u></u><u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:8pt;font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,51,102)">Phone: 212-220-0900</span><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:black"><u></u><u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:8pt;font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,51,102)">Cell: 917-647-1884</span><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:black"><u></u><u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:8pt;font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,51,102)">E-mail:</span><span style="font-size:8pt;font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;color:blue"> <u><a href="mailto:jrfriedman@litproplaw.com" title="mailto:jrfriedman@litproplaw.com" target="_blank"><span style="color:rgb(5,99,193)">jrfriedman@litproplaw.com</span></a></u></span><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:black"><u></u><u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:8pt;font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,51,102)">URL: </span><u><span style="font-size:8pt;font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;color:blue"><a href="http://www.literarypropertylaw.com" title="http://www.literarypropertylaw.com" target="_blank"><span style="color:rgb(5,99,193)">www.literarypropertylaw.com</span></a></span></u><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:black"><u></u><u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,51,102)"> </span><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:black"><u></u><u></u></span></p>
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