Copyright Attorney

US Copyright Protection. The framers of the Constitution of the United States of America gave Congress the power:

One exercise of this power resulted in US copyright law, which gives certain rights to the author of a work, so long as the work has at least a minimal amount of originality.

Some of the kinds of works (expressions) that may be protected by copyrights include literary works, musical works, dramatic works, choreographic works, pictorial, graphic and sculptural works, audiovisual works, architectural works, and sound recordings. In the United States, any qualifying work created after January 1, 1978 is automatically copyrighted. However, a formal registration of the copyright is necessary in order for a copyright owner to bring a lawsuit for copyright infringement.

The owner of a copyright has the following exclusive rights (and the ability to prevent others from doing these things without permission):

Certain rights of attribution and integrity are also given to authors of works of visual art.

The US Copyright Office (which is part of the Library of Congress) allows for copyright applications to be filed on-line at www.copyright.gov. The on-line application process is relatively straightforward and inexpensive, and is designed to allow authors to submit copyright applications themselves.

Enforcement. If a copyright is infringed, the attorneys at Sierra IP Law, PC - Patents, Trademarks & Copyrights have the experience and knowledge to enforce or defend against copyright claims in the federal courts. Copyright claims are handled exclusively in federal court.

Licensing. The attorneys at Sierra IP Law, PC - Patents, Trademarks & Copyrights also have experience and expertise in transferring or receiving US copyrights from one party to another, in whole or in part, whether by way of sale, license, assignment or otherwise.

Difference from Patent or Trademark. A patent provides protection for an invention and a trademark. A distinctive word, phrase, image, and/or other element of goods and/or to identify the source; services. Please visit our patents page and our trademark page for more information.

IMPORTANT LINKS:
U.S. Copyright Office