This month...

• Where is Kathie?
• Copyrights and Trademarks by Sharon Housley
• Book Launch "Worth More Than Rubies"
• Thought for the Day

Where is Kathie?

Well, at the moment I'm in Japan on holiday with my husband, visiting our daughter who works there. But be assured, before I left I made contact with several business people in Japan in the hope that I might explore what it's like to do business there and whether there is any possibility that my team could assist business operators in that country. I did the same when I went to Ireland, UK and France last year.

And whilst I'm away, please know that my team are continuing to support clients and are available to support you when the need arises. My phone is being handled by one of the team members, as is the job request form on our site. I like that because A Clayton's Secretary is a virtual service provider, I don't have to get someone into my office to look after clients whilst I'm gone - I can hand over to very capable VAs and it doesn't really matter where they are.

I will also be taking lots of snaps - my camera always comes with me on my travels, as does my laptop so my family blog is sure to be updated with photos and commentary on our trip.

I will be back in action from Monday 10th September and look forward to catching up with you all then!

Readers of my blog would have read recent posts about people copying websites. I thought it worthwhile sharing the following article here for all to read. Please note, it is worth checking for similar information in your own country, or seek advice if you feel you need to explore this further.

Copyrights and Trademarks By Sharon Housley

Copyright is a type of intellectual property. A copyright is a set of exclusive rights granted by the government for a limited time to protect the particular form, way or manner in which an idea or information is expressed. Copyright is the legal protection given to artists or producers of creative work which protects them against unauthorized copying of their work.

All copyrighted material must be produced in a tangible medium (photo, paper, CD, or video). Concepts, processes and ideas can not be copy protected in the United States. If a statement is made yet not recorded or published it is not protected under the US copyright laws. In other words things must be recorded in a physical form in order to be protected under the copyright laws in the United States.

Any creative works that meets the definition is copy protected. If the creative works was produced after 1978, it is protected for the length of the authors life plus 70 years.

In the US original works can be registered to be copy protected at the US Copyright Office. If a creative work is not registered at the US Copyright Office, it is still considered copy protected. Registration does however make it easier to defend a copyright. Use of a copyright notice is encouraged to be included with creative works because it informs the public that the work is protected by copyright, identifies the copyright owner, and shows the year of first publication.

In the US the Copyright Act of 1976 governs all US copyrights. Additionally the US has treaties with a number of other countries that assist copyright holders with protection in foreign countries. Unfortunately, there is no international copyright law that grants immediate protection to copyright holders. That said, most developed countries do respect and offer some form of copyright protection. These foreign copyright protections have been made easier through treaties and conventions, namely the Universal Copyright Convention in 1955 and the Berne Convention in 1989. Nations that participate in these conventions respect copyrights from other participating countries.

Copyrights are often confused with trademarks. Trademarks are also a type of intellectual property. Trademarks are any symbols, words, number, picture, or design, used by manufacturers or merchants to identify their own goods and distinguish them from goods made or sold by others. Company logos are an excellent example of a creative that can be protected through a trademark. Trademarks are also known as service marks. Trademarks are registered with the USPTO (United States Patent and Trademark Office), they are not registered with the US Copyright Office.

Unlike copyrights, protection of unregistered trademarks may be limited to their specific geographical area. Trademarks must be actively used in order to be considered "defensible".

Technology is challenging the laws with new venues and mediums falling under the protection of copyright and trademark laws.

About the Author:
Sharon Housley manages marketing for FeedForAll http://www.feedforall.com software for creating, editing, publishing RSS feeds and podcasts. In addition Sharon manages marketing for RecordForAll http://www.recordforall.com audio recording and editing software.

Book Launch - Worth More Than Rubies

Last month you read about my new book that is to be launched this very month - the second weekend in fact, at a Business Womens Conference in Brisbane. I plan to do another launch, though, in Melbourne so that family, friends and colleagues can attend this exciting event.

I'm thrilled to say that Dymocks, Collins Street, Melbourne will be hosting the launch to be held in a few weeks' time. If you'd like an invitation to the launch, please fill out the contact form at the site
Worth More Than Rubies and I'll add you to the list.
Update: The Launch at Dymocks is on September 20th, 234 Collins Street, Melbourne. Bookings are essential but entry is free.
Ph: 03 9660 8500

If you are a member of (or know of) a women's group, playgroup, childcare centre, or any other group where it mainly caters to women who are working mothers or mothers at home, then I would love to hear about them. I would like to secure speaking engagements in front of these groups to talk about the content of this book. Please do let others know

Have a great month everyone!

Kathie M. Thomas

Thought for the day:

Motivation is what gets you started. Habit is what keeps you going.
Jim Ryun

About Our Organisation…

What is a Virtual Assistant?
It's a term for home-based secretaries, administrative and secretarial support, and others who supply remote or virtual support.

We are as close to you as your computer and can do almost anything traditional support staff do - except virtually. You don't need to provide office space, equipment, software or furniture - we have our own!

Location no issue as the work is carried out 'virtually' no matter where you are!  However, if you need someone locally we can supply. See our list at VA Directory