Copyrights
Copyright law protects “original works of authorship,” which includes such things as photographs, illustrations, computer code, passages of text, books, and sound recordings. Copyright law does not protect ideas or short phrases. Topics of interest often include ownership (including through work-for-hire), registration, and use/infringement (including “fair use”).
Registering your claim of copyright promptly after publication can be critical to your ability to enforce your claim of rights. Failure to register within three months of first publication or prior to an act of infringement will likely prevent you from recovering attorney fees expended in pursuing a claim of infringement.
How we help
The attorneys of Avek IP are well-versed in copyright law. We have extensive experience helping companies and individuals with copyright registration, copyright licensing and agreements, and copyright infringement litigation. Through cost-effective audit, contract, and filing strategies, we offer tailored solutions to help our clients protect their works and avoid infringement claims – in plain English and without “over-lawyering” the issues.
If your income is derived from the sale or licensing of works of authorship (including software, photographs, artwork, printed publications, architectural drawings, audio visual works, or music or sound recordings), we suggest having a program for registering your claim of copyright in these works. And we encourage software developers to register each new version of their software to avoid any issues as to whether all of the source code has been covered by a registration.
Our copyright services include:
- Copyright registration
- Copyright infringement litigation
- Copyright licenses, assignments, and agreements
- Due diligence reviews of copyright portfolios
- Creation of copyright registration programs implemented by clients
Examples of recent experience
- Registered numerous literary works (including computer code) and works of visual art
- Drafted numerous copyright assignment and license agreements
- Drafted numerous company policies regarding the ownership and use of copyrightable works
- Drafted numerous provisions for employment and independent contractor agreements regarding the ownership and use of copyrightable works
- Audited marketing materials to identify and protect proprietary materials and address potential infringement issues
- Represented company accused of copyright infringement regarding images appearing in its online newsletter and social media accounts; achieved settlement
- Represented company accused of copyright infringement regarding images appearing on its website; achieved settlement
- Represented company accused of copyright infringement regarding unlicensed use of numerous items of software; achieved settlement
Need help with copyright issues?
Copyright laws can be difficult to navigate on your own. Our attorneys are ready to provide you with professional advicefor all of your copyright needs. Contact us for a free consultation.
