What Can You Do If Your Kickstarter Project Gets Involved in an IP Dispute
Assume that you're suddenly hit with an IP dispute…
Assume that you're suddenly hit with an IP dispute…
What happens when your Kickstarter project encounters an IP dispute? This article will walk you through the ins and outs of how a Kickstarter IP dispute works and what steps you can take to resolve it. So, let's delve into this intricate process.
Kickstarter, as a crowdfunding platform, values the protection of intellectual property. An IP dispute on Kickstarter occurs when someone claims that your project infringes upon their intellectual property rights, such as a trademark, copyright, or patent. This can result in your project being temporarily hidden from public view.
Here’s the information that you receive from Kickstarter when this happens:
“Rather than immediately cancel your project, Kickstarter has a system that lets us simply remove it from public view. Your project’s funding (and the countdown to its deadline) is paused, but pledges and lines of communication stay intact. This leaves room for project recovery if the dispute is resolved with the trademark owner. If a project is successful, pledges will not be collected while a project remains in dispute. If the dispute is resolved, pledges can be collected and the project restored to public view. The project will be hidden for 30 days. If you do not resolve the trademark dispute with the trademark owner in that time, the project will be canceled.”
After you get this message, there is a big red notice that reads urgent: Your project is the subject of an IP dispute on your creator dashboard.
The moment you receive a notice from Kickstarter about an IP dispute, it's essential to take immediate action. Here's what you need to do:
It's essential to carefully assess what elements of your project are in dispute, whether it's a title, a word, a song, or any other element. The goal is to remove or replace anything related to the disputed intellectual property.
Here are some key points to consider: