Copyright Registration

Copyright Registration

Copyrights prevent unauthorized replication of creative works.

Copyrights protect creative works including books, photos, drawings, paintings, and plays, unlike trademarks. It protects computer code, advertising jargon, and other obscure categories. Copyright protection is limited to precise or extremely near copies of your work, unlike a trademark, which is “confusingly similar.” It protects your statement of the “concept” of an underdog boxer winning the championship, but not the idea itself (the script you write for your characters.)

Putting “pen to paper” creates a copyright. Without copyright registration, enforcing those rights is difficult.

To set your “effective date,” file your federal copyright application with the Copyright Office. The Copyright Office requires a copy of the creative work you are registering.

Copyright applications often take 4-5 months, depending on the work. Like trademark applications, the applicant is protected from the date of application.

The benefits of obtaining a copyright registration

Statute Damages
If you register the copyrighted work before an infringement, you may be entitled to statutory damages of $30,000 for routine infringement and $150,000 for willful infringement. If you don’t register before the infringement, you can only claim real damages (based on the amount you lost because of the infringement, which is usually not very much).

Legal Fees
Attorney fees and costs may be awarded if you register the copyrighted work before an infringement. If you don’t register before the infringement, you can’t claim attorney fees.

Easy Enforcement
Online vendors rarely “take your word for it” on copyright ownership. Copyright registration is the simplest way to prove ownership.

Copyright Registration

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Copyright Enforcement

It is worth understanding the options of distributing pensions before deciding what is best for you.

Copyright Litigation

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Copyright Portfolio Management

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Our Team

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Tiancheng Yu

Lead Patent Attorney
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Davis Wilson

Co-Founder
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Phillip Butler

Co-Founder
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Sara Smallwood

Lead Trademark Attorney
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Allan Dorman

Copyright Attorney
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Catalina Sage

Associate
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Jamie Kennedy

Associate
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Alyssa Milano

Junior Associate
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Dwayne Lucas

Junior Associate
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