Copyright & Headstones: What Monument Builders Need to Know (with Prof. Glynn Lunney)

 Season 4, Episode 50 is a special one—we traveled to Texas A&M School of Law in Fort Worth to sit down with Professor Glynn Lunney for a plain-English conversation about copyright in the monument industry.  We cover where copyright came from (printing press → modern law), what “substantial similarity” really means (and why there’s no safe “10% rule”), how independent creation works, and why documentation is your best friend.  Professor Lunney also breaks down registration, statutory damages, attorney’s fees, and what to do first if you ever receive a cease-and-desist letter—or worse, a federal complaint.  We wrap with trademark vs. copyright in memorials (logos, characters, permissions) and what he’d change if he could rewrite the whole system today. We would also like to emphasize that the information in this recording is by no means legal advice.