Copyright Questions

davidsalomondavidsalomon Member Posts: 136
edited November -1 in Miscellaneous
Hello, I hope you all are doing fine.
I would like to know a couple of things:+

1) Having a website (domain name) gives you the copyright? Does it give you the ability to say your company's name is your domain name? Let's imagine my site is www.zombiezombiezombie12345.com; will it give me the ability to say my company's name is zombiezombiezombie12345 when uploading my App to the App Store?

2) I saw the Certificates tutorial in YouTube by GameSalad. With the certificates, my Apps will now be secured and people wont steal and say they are their Apps, right?

3) Paying $99/year for the Developer Program is to be able to create the certificates?

Thank you in advance.

Comments

  • tenrdrmertenrdrmer Member, Sous Chef, Senior Sous-Chef Posts: 9,934
    Just cause you got the domain name does not secure the company name. company names actually fall into trademarks not copyrights so if there already is a company out there named zombiezombiezombie12345 then no just cause you got the domain does not give you the right to use the name.

    The developer program gives you access to Certificates, Provisioning profiles, and itunesconnect
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  • davidsalomondavidsalomon Member Posts: 136
    Thank you tendrmer.
    So what should I do if I want to say my game was made by the name of my website?
    I should register a company named zombiezombiezombie12345 if it's non-existent?

    I don't understand very well what are certificates for.
  • davidsalomondavidsalomon Member Posts: 136
    Please?
  • EatingMyHatEatingMyHat Member Posts: 1,246
    well, if you want to say that your game is made by xyz, you should open a company called xyz.

    The exact process and which legal entity you need will be different based on where you live.

    Having said that, there are many developer that I've seen which just use the domain as a company name. It is not illegal to do it (in most places, as long as you pay taxes), but it is also legal for me to come a year later, open a company by the same name and demand that you will stop using it, given that you do not have any legal rights on the name.

    GR
  • Grubby_NerdblenderGrubby_Nerdblender Member Posts: 22
    To avoid going down the registered company route, you can operate as an individual (sole trader) and still use a name that isn't your personal name. For instance I am set up as an individual developer account with apple, but I was still able to choose a trading name to sell my apps under (in my case it's Nerdblender).

    A couple of things to note though, firstly that your real name will still appear in some places, on people's bills when they pay for your app, for example.

    Secondly you hold no legal rights to the name and as said above somebody can start a registered company with your name and you won't be able to do anything to stop that.

    But it's definitley fine to choose a trading name to sell apps under, even if you're an individual.
  • davidsalomondavidsalomon Member Posts: 136
    Grubby_Nerdblender said:
    To avoid going down the registered company route, you can operate as an individual (sole trader) and still use a name that isn't your personal name. For instance I am set up as an individual developer account with apple, but I was still able to choose a trading name to sell my apps under (in my case it's Nerdblender).

    A couple of things to note though, firstly that your real name will still appear in some places, on people's bills when they pay for your app, for example.

    Secondly you hold no legal rights to the name and as said above somebody can start a registered company with your name and you won't be able to do anything to stop that.

    But it's definitley fine to choose a trading name to sell apps under, even if you're an individual.

    If I choose a trading name, sell my apps, and after a couple of months someone makes a company with the same name, I will be forced to change my name; but what about the Apps? Will the guy claim to be their Apps? Or as long as I change my trading name to a different one, I'll be able to sell my Apps again?
  • EatingMyHatEatingMyHat Member Posts: 1,246
    Hi David,

    nobody can claim your apps, but if you used that trade name in the app you will need to post an update or they can ask Apple to remove it.

    Basically, if I put a Microsoft sticker on my car, it does not mean it that Bill Gates can claim it as his, although I'll not be surprised if MSFT legal team will try...

    Gabby
  • davidsalomondavidsalomon Member Posts: 136
    EatingMyHat said:
    Hi David,

    nobody can claim your apps, but if you used that trade name in the app you will need to post an update or they can ask Apple to remove it.

    Basically, if I put a Microsoft sticker on my car, it does not mean it that Bill Gates can claim it as his, although I'll not be surprised if MSFT legal team will try...

    Gabby

    Thank you very much Gabby!
    I hope I never have problems with my App names ;)

    Thank you very much everyone for your help!
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