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SCRANTON — The creative ideas, music, literature or other materials an artist or organization formulates in thought or design are valuable and need to be protected because they just might lead to the next best seller, great innovation or world renowned performance.

Information on safeguarding one’s work, concepts or discoveries will be offered at Protecting Your Big Idea – An Intellectual Property Workshop For Artists from 5:30 to 7 p.m. Wednesday, April 29 at the Electric Trolley Museum, 300 Cliff St., by the Lackawanna County Arts, Culture and Education (ACE) Council.

This free seminar is geared towards artists and organizations of all disciplines and will cover the basics of intellectual property as they relate to inventions, artistic works, inventions, design, words and a host of other items.

The workshop will feature Atty. Damian Biondo from the Philadelphia Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts (PVLA), an arm of the Arts and Business Council of Greater Philadelphia. His talk will include an overview of legal elements and data on intellectual property for the arts. A panel discussion, featuring Thomas Geroulo, entertainment attorney; Christine Medley, assistant professor of graphic design at Marywood University and a local artist; and Rich Larsen, theater professor at The University of Scranton and a lighting designer, will follow the presentation.

The PVLA was founded in 1978 as a nonprofit legal services organization that provides pro-bono and low cost legal assistance, educational programs and business counseling to artists and arts and cultural organizations. In March 2008, the organization joined forces with the Arts and Business Council of Greater Philadelphia.

To register for the program, contact the Lackawanna County Arts and Culture Department at 570-963-6590, Ext. 106, or email [email protected].