IP Number of the Day

The famous “moonwalk”, attributed to Michael Jackson, was for the first time performed by Cab Calloway in 1930. Before Michael Jackson it was used by Bill Bailey in step dance, by Marcel Marceau in pantomime and by a series of other artists. Yet, no one has claimed choreographic authorship. It cannot be protected because it was defined as “social dance step”.

There are 8 different types of choreography: dance, cheerleading, marching band, ice-skating, theatre, synchronised swimming, opera and cinematography.

As well as having a natural talent, 7 skills are necessary to suceed in perforing arts: condifence, ability to network, self-discipline, analytical mind, flexibility teamwork and organisation.

QR codes were first created back in 1994. A Toyota subsidiary named Denso Wave developed the code in order to help in the manufacturing process, they aided in tracking vehicles and parts. It was designed to allow for fast decoding speeds, hence the name Quick Response code.

The term "know-how" is used for the first time to stand for expertise in 1838.

Factory marks were first applied in Italy in the 15th century, but their widespread use began in the 18th century. The Meissen factory, with its crossed swords mark, was the first to mark pieces consistently. During the 19th century factory-marks became common throughout the world and by the end of the century were required by law.

3344 is the number of geographical indications from EU countries in the EU database.

π, or in short 3.141592653589793238… is not copyrightable, neither is its transcription into a music notes pattern. 

Mary Kies became the first woman to receive a U.S. patent on May 5, 1809 for her method of weaving straw with silk. With her new method, Kies could make and sell beautiful hats, and, by law, no one else could sell hats just like hers.

The term of protection of copyright for a literary or artistic work is set at 70 years from:

• the death of the author of the work, or the death of the last surviving author in the case of a work of joint ownership;
• the date on which the work was lawfully made available to the public if it is anonymous or was produced under a pseudonym.