If you’re a person who creates creative content, then you may need to acquire copyright to ensure that your property is your own. Only a business law attorney can help you understand what gaps there are in common law. It’s true that as soon as you publish a piece you retain legal copyrights without doing anything else, this coverage is not always enough. Read on to learn more and then reach out to Law Offices of Torrence L. Howell at (909) 920-0908 to learn more about your options.
Not every type of work is eligible for copywrite
According to Title 17 of the U.S. Code, which is often simply referred to as the federal Copyright Act, copyright applies to works of authorship that are fixed in any type of tangible medium. For example, here are some types of work that are eligible for copyright protection:
- Literary works
- Sound recordings
- Musical works (this includes both music and words)
- Graphic, pictorial, and sculptural work
- Dramatic works (this includes both words and music)
- Pantomimes
- Choreographic works
- Architectural works
- Movies and other types of audiovisual work
- Sound recordings
- Engineering designs
- Software codes
Note that these are just examples and not an exhaustive list of every type of work that can enjoy copyright coverage.
There are a number of rights that come with copyright
If a person holds the copyright on a work, they get a number of rights. These rights include reproducing their work, distributing their work, preparing derivative works on their original work, performing the work either live or via digital audio transmission, and displaying the copyrighted work both publically and privately.
Copyright exists from the moment of publication but must be registered to file a complaint
You don’t have to register your copyright if you want copyright protection. However, if you have work that originated in California or elsewhere throughout the U.S., then you must register it before you can begin copyright infringement action.
There are other benefits that come from filing for a federal copyright. They include the ability to use the copyright notice to prove an individual or company didn’t “innocently” steal your copyright, the facts included in the certificate provide clear evidence of when the copyright began, and if the registration is made within three months of it being published, or before the work is infringed, then you can include damages and attorney’s fees in any court action against an infringer.
Reach out to a business law attorney today
If you have copyright issues, or you want to protect a work you’ve created that you haven’t had issues with yet, then you should reach out to Law Offices of Torrence L. Howell at (909) 920-0908 right away. We can help with everything from drawing up contracts with co-creators to pursuing action if your copyright is infringed on. All it takes is one call and we can help you find the best options to move forward. Call today and let’s get started!
