I have a dream...........

[mooseman]

serious question here for first hand experience with protecting a printed product.

I have some text that I want to market specifically to firefighters. It is a multi line text, lets call it a poem or prayer for lack of a better term that will be combined with a associated firefighter's graphic yet to be designed.

I have on a very preliminary basis presented the raw text hand written on a simple sheet of paper to several firefighters and on that limited bases have a level of interest above what I was expecting. It looks like an idea that creates instant interest?

 I have been sitting on this for some time mainly because I think I need to protect my ownership of the actual text. I will consult with an attorney as I am thinking of either producing the product or selling the idea .

At this point I am looking to understand from anyone who has ventured something similar in terms of ownership / market protection.......has anyone here  traveled this road before ? I could sure use some real world knowledge.
Thanks
Respectfully
mooseman

[broadway]

Sounds like a copyrigt/TM issue. If you talk to an attorney i would suggest using an attorney who specializes in copyright/TM law. Also once you get a copyright/TM you will have to spend money to protect it, meaning if you think someone is infringeing  on the mark, you will have to pursue them. If you do not, your copyright/TM will be weakened, making it harder to protect in the future. This migt only effect TM.

[Dottonedan]

There are at least one or a few well known poems or "creeds" as some call them. The ones I am aware of are lengthly. My own Fire department read one at an event we had. very sentimantal and not a dry eye in the house.

I have never seen it or one on a tee. It could sell well " for the fact that firefighters will know and relate but (as a tee), it brings very little interest to others because of the length. Very few people can stop to take the time to read it and appreciate it. The longer the info on a tee, the less salability it has. Again tho, for who you are selling to, it has legs.