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Copyright Law

Information on copyright law including definitions, articles, applicable laws, and applications for copyright. Also includes a directory of copyright law attorneys.
Copyright Law
Boutique law firm specializing in copyright law. Experienced and aggressive. Contact us now.
Protect | Litigate | License | Contact
www.dglegal.com
Copyright Lawyers Referral Service
Copyright Lawyer referral & information service certified by the American & California Bar Associations. Find a Copyright Lawyer today.
Copyright | Find a Lawyer | Check a Lawyer | About Us
www.business-lawyer-referral.com
Copyright Your Work Online with LegalZoom.com
Register your copyright in minutes. Featured on CNN, CBS, ABC, NBC and USA Today. Created by top attorneys to save you time and money.
www.legalzoom.com
Copyright & Trademark Law
Experienced Attorney Call for free consultation.
www.ZernerLaw.com
Copyright Lawyer
Need a Lawyer? Free Search of Over 1,000,000 Lawyer Listings - FindLaw
www.FindLaw.com
Copyright Lawyer
Meeting the standards Of product diversity.
ckbproducts.com
Internet Copyright Lawyer
Tap Into Our Experience Fighting Internet Copyright Infringement.
www.KronenbergerLaw.com/Copyright
How To Patent Your Idea
Request Your Free Patent Kit Now. Get Real Success With Your Patent.
www.InventionHome.com
Have a Patent Idea?
Find Companies To Help Patent, Develop, Package & Sell Your Idea.
www.idea4invention.com/patent
trademark lawyer
We handle all types of TM Law Free consultation, visit today.
www.TM4SmallBiz.com
Great Laywer Great Price
DUI/criminal defense lawyer Starting at $895.00
www.bowmanlawgroup.com
$74 Copyright Service
Only $74 To Copyright Your Work! Easy, Safe, Submit Online, Same Day
www.OneStopCopyrighting.com
Listings
Australian Copyright Council
Online information center for this independent non-profit organization.
www.copyright.org.au
Copyright Agency Ltd. (CAL)
CAL balances the copyright interests of creators and publishers with the community’s need to copy published works; provides a cost-effective copying licences; and manages intellectual property by providing efficient copyright management for auth...
www.copyright.com.au
Copyright and Fair Use
Current legislation, cases and issues, online resources and overviews of copyright law are documented on this site.
fairuse.stanford.edu
Copyright Basics
From the American Bar Association.
www.abanet.org
Copyright Clearance Center Online
Major licenser of photocopy reproduction rights, formed in 1978 to facilitate compliance with U.S. copyright law. Provides licensing systems for the reproduction and distribution of copyrighted materials in print and electronic formats throughou...
www.copyright.com
Copyright for Computer Authors
Basic IP information for software authors and artists, from the Franklin Pierce Law Center.
www.fplc.edu
Copyright in Visual Arts
By Thomas G. Field, Jr., from the Franklin Pierce Law Center.
www.fplc.edu
Copyright Law
Boutique law firm specializing in copyright law. Experienced and aggressive. Contact us now.
Protect | Litigate | License | Contact
www.dglegal.com (Paid)
Copyright Law Meets the World Wide Web
In ACM Crossroads, the student magazine of the Association for Computing Machinery.
www.acm.org
Copyright Lawyers Referral Service
Copyright Lawyer referral & information service certified by the American & California Bar Associations. Find a Copyright Lawyer today.
Copyright | Find a Lawyer | Check a Lawyer | About Us
www.business-lawyer-referral.com (Paid)
Copyright on the Internet
Contains information on limits, rights and informational links.
www.fplc.edu
Copyright Your Work Online with LegalZoom.com
Register your copyright in minutes. Featured on CNN, CBS, ABC, NBC and USA Today. Created by top attorneys to save you time and money.
www.legalzoom.com (Paid)
Crash Course in Copyright
From the University of Texas.
www.utsystem.edu
Friends of Active Copyright Education (FA©E)
An initiative of the Copyright Society of the USA designed to provide a broad range of resources to foster and support copyright awareness.
www.csusa.org
icopyright.com
The first instant copyright and reprint clearinghouse.
www.icopyright.com
The Publishing Law Center
Legal information for the publishing community. This web site and the information contained are provided by The Law Office of Lloyd L. Rich to provide assistance with publishing, business and intellectual property issues.
www.publaw.com
Copyright & Trademark Law
Experienced Attorney Call for free consultation.
www.ZernerLaw.com
Copyright Lawyer
Need a Lawyer? Free Search of Over 1,000,000 Lawyer Listings - FindLaw
www.FindLaw.com
Copyright Lawyer
Meeting the standards Of product diversity.
ckbproducts.com

Guide to Copyrights

Protect your work by registering; protect your use by asking permission


Copyright is legal protection against copying or commercially exploiting intellectual property without the creator or the copyright holder's permission. It isn't only for literature and works of art — software, photography, music, video, film and architectural drawings can also be copyrighted.

To protect yourself — whether you're the creator or user — you'll need a three-part approach:

  1. For concrete copyright protection, register your work with the U.S. Copyright Office.
  2. Employees who create a work on the job or independent contractors creating work qualifying as "work for hire" do not own copyright; the employer does.
  3. Copyright gives the owner exclusive rights to copy and distribute the work, to create adaptations of it, and to perform or display it; all others must ask permission.


Action Steps

The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Get the copyright lowdown Whether you want to copyright your work or use somebody else's, you need to know the rules. Many business owners are what a copyright really is, who can claim copyright, how to properly secure a copyright and other key issues.

I recommend:  The free online guide to Copyright Basics from the U.S. Copyright Office has answers to all common copyright questions. The basic copyright registration fee is $45.

Know whether it's protected Check the copyright status of intellectual works, and look for name changes and transfers of ownership.

I recommend:  The U.S. Copyright Office offers three copyright-search databases dating back to 1978.

Step-by-step registration procedures Copyright registration is a legal formality that establishes a public record of the basic facts of your copyright.

I recommend:  While registration is not required for you to own a copyright, the law offers several advantages to encourage copyright owners to register. The Copyright Office has complete registration details for different types of works.

Ask before using A letter asking permission to use copyrighted material can be short and sweet, but it must cover certain basics about how the work will be used.

I recommend:  A one-page sample request to use copyrighted material is available at U.S. Legal Forms.

Give permission to others Make sure you put in writing all the details — payment, restrictions on location, defined use, credit given, purpose and more — when someone wants to use your copyrighted work.

I recommend:  Juris Documents provides a form for an agreement to use copyrighted material.

Notify unauthorized users Let someone know when they've used your work without permission — that's why you registered copyright in the first place.

I recommend:  Find a notice of infringement form at AllBusiness.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide
  • Copyrights don't protect names, phrases, slogan or logos — for this, you'll need to conduct a trademark search and register a trademark.
  • Violations of copyright often involve use for commercial gain.
  • The copyright owner may request a fee, especially if the work will be used for commercial purposes.
  • Beware of the 'fair use' rule of copyright; its provisions are limited.
  • Works in the public domain require no permission before use.

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How-To Guide from WORK.COM

Guide author
By Holly Ocasio Rizzo
Protect your work by registering; protect your use by asking permission.
Copyright is legal protection against copying or commercially exploiting intellectual property without the creator or the copyright holder's permission. It isn't only for literature and works of art — software, photography, music, ... Read more
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