What is Copyright Law?

Copyright law, also referred to as intellectual property or patent law, refers to the laws that determine who has ownership of creative works and ideas. A copyright is a protection against fraud and the use of an original work without the original creating individual’s consent. This may seem like a simple concept, but with the laws surrounding intellectual and creative copyright constantly changing, it can be difficult to keep up with the laws surrounding your intellectual property.

This is when a patent lawyer can step in to help you determine the best legal remedy to your intellectual property issues. If you feel you may have copyright or intellectual property issue, you will want to contact a patent lawyer as soon as possible.

What can Intellectual Property Lawyers Do for You?

A copyright lawyer is a lawyer who specializes in cases involving copyright and intellectual property law. A patent lawyer can help you setup a patent for your creative works or ideas, and In cases of copyright infringement, a copyright lawyer can help prove original ownership and any monetary damages that might occur because of unauthorized use. These damages are what you will seek in court.

Do I Need a Lawyer to Acquire a Copyright?

You do not have to have a patent lawyer to get a copyright or patent, but it is incredibly helpful. A copyright lawyer can ensure all paperwork is completed fully and all copyrightable works are covered. Maneuvering the waters of copyright paperwork can be difficult, and a copyright lawyer can help you navigate with ease.

According to copyright law, anyone who creates a copyrightable work, such as a book or song, owns the copyright to that work without any formal paperwork or recordkeeping. This is known as a common law right to the work. However, this is not ideal. If an artist chooses to file for a formal copyright, a patent lawyer can assist with this process. The patent lawyer also can maintain records to help prove your right to the creative should an issue arise. Especially with common law works, infringements can come up where a patent lawyer will be needed.

Though a copyright registration is not necessary to protect intellectual property rights to your creative works, you should always keep as much documentation as possible. This will help you prove ownership. It also can prove the dates that a work was created to show whether an infringement truly occurred after the original work was created. Dates are key in copyright law. The courts will want to know who created the work first. A copyright lawyer uses these details you provide, along with public records you may have such as time-stamped placement of the work online, as well as any other evidence to prove the ownership. Registering your copyright can ensure the dates are secure and can help a patent lawyer immensely in pursuing damages in court.

Patent Laws are Constantly Changing

Patent laws are very fluid. With constant developments in technology also comes an increase in the number of ways people can abuse copyrights. Technology can be used to abuse other’s copyrights, but it can also be used to backup owner’s claims to a particular piece of work.

Hiring a patent lawyer who specializes in copyrights can help save the integrity of your work from being abused by others, and it can get you the money that you deserve from others profiting from your ideas when infringed upon.