LOOK Magazine

[gabriel_roca]

Quick question: Would anyone happen to know if anyone still holds

some sort of copyright protection for the old (long defunct) LOOK

magazine? Would that title no longer be under copyright protection

since it no longer exists - is it in the public domain?? Curious. PS:

I'm putting this in the Leica forum because, well, I'm just so

uncomfortable going anywhere else. I mean, this is all I know. LOL.

 

Cheers.

[al_kaplan1]

Just because the magazine is long gone doesn't mean that somebody isn't still holding on to rights to the name, or that the parent corporation no longer exists.

[gabriel_roca]

Yes, that's what I'm after - anyone know who might own the copyright?

[Spearhead]

Two minutes of searching on the web turns up the information at <a href="http://lcweb.loc.gov/rr/print/res/074_look.html">this site,</a> which is a good starting point.

[gabriel_roca]

Yeah, I've found that page. What I'm specifically wondering about are things like the logo, etc, not so much photographer's images. Don't ask why, it would take WAAAYYYY too long to explain and it's really not that interesting in the end. Well, anyway, as always, thanks for all the answers/suggestions.

 

Be well.

[andrew_somerset1]

That page does tell you that the rights were sold by Cowles Collections, and it's a good bet that's a division of a magazine publisher called Cowles Media. They were bought a few years back by Primedia (www.primedia.com), so that's the best bet on who now owns the rights to the Look logo etc.

 

Here's their address:

745 Fifth Avenue

New York, New York 10151

Telephone: (212) 745-0100

Fax: (212) 745-0121

E-mail: information@primedia.com

[grg]

Hi Edward,

 

I did a quick search at the USPTO.gov site for a registered trademark "LOOK" owned by Cowles. I found <a href="http://tess2.uspto.gov/bin/gate.exe?f=doc&state=r07gtf.10.1">THIS</a>. Please note that at the bottom of the page at the link above, the trademark is shown as "live."<p>

Go <a href="http://www.copyright.gov/records/cohm.html">HERE</a> and conduct a "Title" search for "LOOK". You should find just under 400 copyrights for the "LOOK" magazine publications themselves.<p>

It sounds like you are looking for trademark information rather than copyright information. Copyright protection extends to "original works of authorship" that are fixed in a tangible form of expression, e.g. the magazine publications. A trademark is a "word, symbol, device or any combination thereof," which is used to distinguish the goods of one person manufactured or sold by others, and to indicate the source of goods, e.g. the logo and title "LOOK".<p>

I hope this helps.

[grg]

For more information, see <a href="http://www.copyright.gov/help/faq/">Copyright FAQ's</a> at the United States Copyright Office and <a href="http://www.uspto.gov/web/offices/tac/tmfaq.htm">Trademark FAQ's</a> at the United States Patent & Trademark Office.

[grg]

Last recorded assignment was from "LOOK MAGAZINE ENTERPRISES, S.A. (SWITZERLAND CORPORATION)" to "TIME INC. (DELAWARE CORPORATION)" 1271 AVENUE OF THE AMERICAS, NEW YORK, NEW YORK 10020. The assignment was executed on 12/29/00 and recorded on 3/12/01 - assigning "the entire interest and goodwill", i.e. the whole enchilada.

[grg]

Geez, while I'm at it . . . assignment history: COWLES MAGAZINES AND BROADCASTING, INC. to COWLES COMMUNICATIONS, INC. (1965) to COWLES COMMUNICATIONS, INC. (1976) to NEW SOUND CORPORATION S.A. (1977) to LOOK MAGAZINE ENTERPRISES S.A. (1983), then finally to TIME INC. (2001). It appears that the mark "LOOK" is still alive and presently assigned to Time, Inc. Feel free to email off-thread if you have additional questions.

[EricM]

it's great how we help one another out here.

[gabriel_roca]

Well, indeed it appears as though the trademarks and copyrights are being maintained by someone. Interesting. Well, a hearty thanks to everyone for their great input. Where would be without all the brains that come together here!

 

Best,

 

-Ed