Copyright Registration
We help our clients register copyrights for computer programs, motion pictures, visual art, sound recordings, and other literary, musical, dramatic, sculptural, pictorial, and architectural works. Our services include copyright registration, counseling, licensing and transfer of ownership, acquisition, sale and litigation. Our attorneys are knowledgeable regarding the U.S. Digital Millennium Copyright Act (”DMCA”) and other current laws and regulations for the registration and enforcement of copyrights. We counsel our clients and assist in the management of our clients copyright portfolios. For more information, click here.
Copyright Litigation
We represent clients in all types of copyright related matters in federal court, through the appeals process and in state court in preemption matters.
General aspects of copyright law are discussed in the following sections:
1. General Definition
2. What is Protectable with a Copyright
3. Ownership and Authorship – A Critical Matter
4. For more Copyright Information, click here.
5. Forms
For more information, click here.
General Definition
Copyright is a form of intellectual property protection provided to the authors of “original works of authorship” including literary, dramatic, musical, artistic, and certain other intellectual works, both published and unpublished. The owner of copyright has exclusive right to reproduce the copyrighted work, to prepare derivative works, to distribute copies or phonorecords of the copyrighted work, to perform the copyrighted work publicly, or to display the copyrighted work publicly. For more information, click here.
What is Protectable with a Copyright
Copyrights protect your brochures, advertisements, pamphlets, machine drawings, illustrations, web sites, computer programs, software and data bases developed for your business. Historically, copyrights protect films, books, songs, musical scores, pictures, video and works of art. Copyrights are relatively inexpensive to register and yet provide substantial benefits. For more information, click here.
Ownership and Authorship – A Critical Matter
A critical but complex issue often occurs in determining who owns the copyright to a creative work. In general, you own the copyright if your employee creates the work but, if an independent contractor creates the work, you need a written agreement or contract transferring ownership to you.
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Forms
For more information and helpful forms, click here.