I Answer Legal Questions from the Public

I Answer Legal Questions from the Public

by Sue Basko

Click on any link below to see the question sent in anonymously by a person in the public, and the replies written by me and other lawyers.  None of this is "legal advice," it is simply for education and fun.  If you have a specific legal need, you should speak with your own lawyer.  

Can I get in trouble at school for something on Instagram? 

What is the difference between an entertainment company and a production company?

Is this considered a skilled contest?   

Who owns the rights to the movie?

Can you sue a person for false advertising on trip advisor?

Can I use pictures of homes in my book?

Should I put in my will who has rights to my songs?

What am I facing if the police gave me ticket for providing alcohol to minors and contributing delinquency of minors?

Can I display a USA jacket in my independent film?

Do I need permission in quoting celebrities in a book?

If I live in one state and wants to do business with someone in another state, do I need a notary public to make contract binding?

Are selling DJ mix tapes illegal?

Do I need to let parents sign a contract in my show that challenges kids to do stuff?

What rights do I have? Can I sue the club if a stripper beat me onstage?

Can I press charges against a business for sending BCC e-mail to of my business?

Is it possible to get a pro-rated refund on an extended warranty?

What are the laws, regulations, or codes regarding male exotic dancers in both "gay" and "straight" bars?

Can a group of 4 teenage girls who help each other in achieving their dreams be considered an organization?

Is it legal to play paintball in an abandoned building?

What are the first three steps for starting a magazine?

Can I publish "true" stories about my childhood without my family suing me for defamation?

Is it copyright infringement for referencing books in personal study?

Is it legal for three companies that issue music license to force me to purchase a license from each one? If not, what can I do?

Can we use those companies' projects and logos in advertisements without permission? Or is this trademark infringement?

Can we file a case if a local club is advertising that our band will be playing in their event even though we're not?

Can my Internet Service Provider cancel my service because I am asking them to fix their faulty equipment?

I know of a gay porn company that does not provide STD testing for their actors, is that legal?

Is it against the law to sell dirty underwear and/or mail them?

Is it illegal to host a Competitive Tournament on a Video Game?

Is it copyright infringement if for my private study?

How can I avoid liability and be safe from law suits as a tour guide?

What is the curfew for minors?

Can I use audio/video recording of an interviewee without consent?

What can we do regarding a product idea that was stolen?

How old do I have to be to buy a laptop?

I wrote lyrics to a song and co produced in 1999. Is there a statute of limitations for filing a copyright infringement case?

Can I email my friend? Is he required to respond or do we need a contract?

What can be done to hold this companies legal feet to the fire, to take responsibility for what they allow to be posted or removed?

In a trademark infringement case, how difficult and expensive is it to get a court order?

What can I do if I am a screenwriter and didn't give permission for production to use my work?

Am I allowed to copyright this name?

What do I need if I want to start my asian bodywork therapist practice at home?

Is there anything I can do to get money from overlooked winning lottery ticket that a coworker cashed in for $440,000?

Can the photographer legally use my photos if we do not have a contract?

Am I entitled to any of my husband's benefits should he pass away? Are my daughter's entitled as well?

Can you copyright your own version of a cover song?

Is it illegal to change a service without telling the consumer?

Should I contact publishing company before publishing my poem inspired by their book?

Is it illegal to download pictures from the internet for personal use?

Is it illegal to keep a software after it expires?

Is there rules against posting videos on The Impossible Game?

What type of visa the record labels give to artists from other countries when they are signed in order to enter to the US and start recording?

Is it illegal for a 22 year old to date a 16 year old?

Do I need to get permission from celebrities before I can post pics of them in my website?

Is there a copyright on quotes?

How do you write a terms of service?

Is it legal to take a picture of or scan a magazine cover for the purpose of selling that magazine?

Is it legal to film and record an on-duty police officer while asking why they pulled SOMEONE ELSE over?

Is it legal to charge an automatic gratuity?

If I have committed piracy, is it illegal for me to report myself and putting some false information in the report?

Is it illegal to use the title of a movie by someone with mainstream credibility for a record company?

How to have a name change with no chance of anyone knowing your old name?

Are beach bonfires legal?

Can a little league baseball association charge an extra fee for using public property?

Can I sue if I won the jackpot and casino refuses to payout?

Why are things like prostitution and marijuana illegal?

Will it affect my credit which is excellent, if I change providers and do not pay cancellation fee?

What type of attorney do I need if I want to sue an advertising company?

I traded wheels with someone. One day later he demands them back, do I have to trade him back?

How do I protect my idea for a reality TV show? Would filing a copyright or patent work?

Can I sue a guy for copying my video and claiming it as his own?

Can the store cancel my order if it was made before the price of the item I intend to buy went higher?

Can I visit the park with my horse, assuming I clean up manure?

Can I busk on the sidewalk?

Is it legal to host a basketball tournament at the local park?

Can I sue a night club?

Is it libel if I don't mention the name and identify our city?

Can I sue my employer for unsafe practices and issuing faulty equipment?

Can the seller repossesses the bird if I still owe him a $100?

I want to use my hunting rifle for my student film in a wooded area, do I need a permit or just notify the authorities?

Is it legal to rip audio from social networking sites for personal use?

Do I still need permission to publish if my poem is based on a previous writing?

Can someone under the age of 14 put a motor kit on their bicycle in Australia?

Am I being discriminated by being the only one to do the test?

Is it legal for a business owner to not honor a gift certificate?

Can I legally upload a video taken in my home into my social media account?

What license should I get to make the recording legal?

What can I do if someone hacked my social networking account?

Can I sue the hookah bars that let's my underage (15 and 16 year old) friends in and let's them smoke?

Can a cell phone provider be sued?

If I work for a radio station where everybody is strictly volunteer, and we play a club DJ's mix on air, do we have to pay royalties to the artists?

If I signed a contract with a firm citing under California law however company is not registered in CA, is contract valid in CA?

What legal requirements are there to create a Social Media WebApp?

Is it legal for a restaurant manager to let a customer find out why the mistake happened?

Is it legal to watch television shows on the internet?

Is it legal to be in a room with a friend while she gets shots?

What are my rights as a consumer against communication interference?

How do I go about getting the necessary information and, once I have said information, getting the movie copyright?

What are my rights if the bartender refused to serve me at a bar?

Can I be sued for selling an item online if I am not an authorized internet reseller?

Do I need seller of travel for California if travel agency located in other state and promote travel services for out-of-California customers?

With the motion sensors can I legally have them turn on when someone is close?

Is there a legal way to handle an issue where a product was marked wrongly or have the product for free?  

How complex is it to start into the Adult Film business?

Is it legal for a company to not honor their coupons that have an expiration date on them of October 2013?

Can I legally torrent a program I own online if I lost my program disc?

What is ecclesiastical law?

what is the standard rate for life rights purchase agreement in TV, film and books?

Can I videotape in public? What is defined as a public/private space?

Can we still use our band name after the singer quit the band?

I know of a gay porn company that does not provide STD testing for their actors, is that legal?

What is the curfew for minors?

Can I use audio/video recording of an interviewee without consent?

Can I use a TV character as a minor character in a youtube series?

I never got any legal advise from my lawyer what can I do?

If I am writing a musical about a famous celebrity, do I need permission from her?

If a client breached a verbal contract, can that client sue the person doing the service?

How do I revise a copyright?

Is it illegal to download videos off YouTube?

Can a little league baseball association charge an extra fee for using public property?

Can I sue if I won the jackpot and casino refuses to payout?

What sort of insurance for a warehouse private function will I need to cover me for this, and is there anything else I may need to cover?

What can be done if a specific case has no applicable statute?

Can I post jail photos on the internet without breaking the law?

Can we play naruto shippuden ultimate ninja storm 3 on rpcs3 emulator on pc?

A scene and song occurs in a video on YouTube of me recording myself playing a Nintendo Video Game is this fair use?

Can someone under the age of 14 put a motor kit on their bicycle in Australia?

Will the PSVita be able to Emulate PS2 Emulation like Gran Turismo 3 A-SPEC PS2 Gran Turismo 4 PS2?

How long does the Grand Valley 300km 60 laps last in Gran Turismo 1?

Is it illegal to have a potato cannon (spud gun) in Darien, Illinois?

Does not paying royalties constitute a breach of contract?

Can something be done if a pizza receipt had a deliver anal style note written in it?

Is a company that improperly charged me for a magazine that I did not order legally responsible to reimburse me?

If I made a video in YouTube but gave credit to the artist will I still face any legal problems?

Can he still go to jail or get pressed charges?

If I catch a customer on video in my bar stealing from someone can I post it on youtube?

Is it legal to share two songs and give copies of those songs?

Wouldn't it be considered false advertising they say it was a printing mistake?

Is buying or selling used CDs or DVDs violating copyright laws? If so, how are thousands of used CD and DVD stores worldwide doing this legally?

Would my idea be a legal business venture?

Can I use a picture of two actors on my book to show readers where the characters came from?

What is the conventional manner of play of Baccarat?

Can I sue for suffering of grades and to get my money back for repairs I have to make?

Can I copyright a song if I wasn't the only contributor?

How do we protect our interests in the agreement, as authors who want to secure someone's life story rights?

Do I have to get consent from people if I'm writing a fiction book?

Can you help me with my CRP for graduating high school?

Is it necessary to take a license for publishing and to prevent any copyrights issue in future?

Is there a way to get a license to have a small escort business, what are the requirements, do you have to have certain knowledge in healthy sex?

Where must the money go from a benifit?

Whats an internal band contract?

Can I legally put anything on a website?

Can I extend promotional period for sweepstakes before it ends?

Who gets the rights to our band name when the band breaks up?

Does a company have to legally tell you who they gave your screenplay to?

Is it illegal to film police officers performing their duties in a public place?

Is throwing a party of 400 persons in warehouse allowed and is serving alcohol to the guest allowed?

Is it legal to host an event at a reception hall and ask for an admission fee?

Would it be considered fair usage if five seconds of a television show is used as part of a three-minute video?

Is it illegal for a restaurant to refuse to accept a coupon?

How many guns am I allowed to carry at 1 time with a concealed handgun permit?

What are an artists rights when it comes to being defamed by a promoter at an event?

Can I use pictures of people for my marketing materials without permission?

Is it illegal to promote offshore gambling casinos on the internet?

How much trouble could I get into if I sell shirts with “Gary Oldman is Awesone” or Gigli wasn’t that bad” printed on them?