Copyright Protection
Copyright registration, licensing, and infringement.
Works We Protect
- Advertisements
- Books
- Choreography
- Floor Plans
- Graphics
- Logos
- Murals
- Music
- Paintings
- Plays
- Photography
- Poetry
- Sculptures
- Sketches
- TikToks / Reels
- Websites
- Videos
Request a Consultation
We provide informative consultations for clients eager to receive professional copyright protection.
What is a copyrighted work?
Copyright protection exists for works of authorship that are fixed in tangible mediums of expression. There are several categories of works of authorship that qualify for copyright protection, including literary works, pictoral, graphic, and sculptural works, music, and audiovisual works. Hallmarks of copyrighted works, and achieving protection, are originality and creativity. Any artist who expresses an idea in an original and creative way is eligible to receive copyright protection.
Why is copyright protection important?
Most discussions about copyright protection focus on ownership of the rights and royalties that would accompany valuable copyrighted works. The typical rights afforded copyright owners are valuable, and they include the right to copy, distribute, and create derivative works of the original work, among other rights. However, federal copyright law affords additional rights to some authors of copyrighted works that may be easily overlooked. Depending on the type of work at issue, these authors may have rights of attribution and integrity that allow them to claim authorship over their works and prevent the distortion, mutilation, modification, or destruction of their works.
On a more granular level, federal copyright protection also provides strong mechanisms of enforcement for rights owners, like the rights afforded under the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) and the “DMCA takedown notice” procedure described therein. The Copyright Act of 1976 has even recently been amended to allow small claims disputes to be resolved through the Copyright Office, a faster and more affordable avenue than standard litigation. Importantly, the Copyright Act provides owners of infringed works to elect for statutory damages in lieu of actual infringement damages, and certain litigants may even be able to recover their attorneys’ fees.
What steps can you take to protect your copyright?
There are three steps to protecting your original work of authorship: fixation, registration, and policing. Fixation is the process of reducing your work to a tangible form. The Copyright Act does not provide protection to works that are only mental concepts. However, once a work is reduced to an acceptable tangible medium, copyright protection adheres instantly.
Registration is not a prerequisite of copyright protection. An original, creative work of authorship receives copyright protection at the moment it is fixed in a tangible medium. However, registration with the U.S. Copyright Office provides additional benefits to copyright owners that should not be ignored. Not only is registration a prerequisite to filing suit for infringement, it affords a legal presumption to the owner of the copyrighted work of the validity of the copyright and the things stated in the application. Copyright owners should not neglect the value of registration
Policing involves enforcing or defending one’s rights in a copyrighted work. It is important to keep watch over unauthorized uses of your work and your rights to your work to guard against unintended consequences.
We can advise and assist every step of the way.
Our Copyright Services
- Copyright registration
- Rights consultations
- Copyright cease and desist letters
- Licensing agreement drafting
- Copyright demand letters
- Work made for hire agreements
- Copyright infringement litigation
- Copyright infringement dispute resolution
Meet Our Copyright Attorney
Learn about our experiences and how we can provide you premium legal protection.
Copyright Prose is our blog about copyright law. Learn more about copyright authorship, ownership rights, and infringement. Click on a post below.
What is a copyrighted work?
Copyright protection exists for works of authorship that are fixed in tangible mediums of expression. There are several categories of works of authorship that qualify for copyright protection, including literary works, pictoral, graphic, and sculptural works, music, and audiovisual works. Hallmarks of copyrighted works, and achieving protection, are originality and creativity. Any artist who expresses an idea in an original and creative way is eligible to receive copyright protection.
Why is copyright protection important?
Most discussions about copyright protection focus on ownership of the rights and royalties that would accompany valuable copyrighted works. The typical rights afforded copyright owners are valuable, and they include the right to copy, distribute, and create derivative works of the original work, among other rights. However, federal copyright law affords additional rights to some authors of copyrighted works that may be easily overlooked. Depending on the type of work at issue, these authors may have rights of attribution and integrity that allow them to claim authorship over their works and prevent the distortion, mutilation, modification, or destruction of their works.
On a more granular level, federal copyright protection also provides strong mechanisms of enforcement for rights owners, like the rights afforded under the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) and the “DMCA takedown notice” procedure described therein. The Copyright Act of 1976 has even recently been amended to allow small claims disputes to be resolved through the Copyright Office, a faster and more affordable avenue than standard litigation. Importantly, the Copyright Act provides owners of infringed works to elect for statutory damages in lieu of actual infringement damages, and certain litigants may even be able to recover their attorneys’ fees.
What steps can you take to protect your copyright?
There are three steps to protecting your original work of authorship: fixation, registration, and policing. Fixation is the process of reducing your work to a tangible form. The Copyright Act does not provide protection to works that are only mental concepts. However, once a work is reduced to an acceptable tangible medium, copyright protection adheres instantly.
Registration is not a prerequisite of copyright protection. An original, creative work of authorship receives copyright protection at the moment it is fixed in a tangible medium. However, registration with the U.S. Copyright Office provides additional benefits to copyright owners that should not be ignored. Not only is registration a prerequisite to filing suit for infringement, it affords a legal presumption to the owner of the copyrighted work of the validity of the copyright and the things stated in the application. Copyright owners should not neglect the value of registration
Policing involves enforcing or defending one’s rights in a copyrighted work. It is important to keep watch over unauthorized uses of your work and your rights to your work to guard against unintended consequences.
We can advise and assist every step of the way.
Our Copyright Services
- Copyright registration
- Rights consultations
- Copyright cease and desist letters
- Licensing agreement drafting
- Copyright demand letters
- Work made for hire agreements
- Copyright infringement litigation
- Copyright infringement dispute resolution
Request a Consultation
We provide informative consultations for clients eager to receive professional copyright protection.