What is a copyright? In short, it is certain rights given by statute to an author of artistic or literary productions. That person has exclusive right to the creation, including for sale and publication purposes. An author may sell or grant his or her copyright to others such as a recording company or a publisher. The copyright protections are provided by the United States government and can be enforced by a Orlando based copyright lawyer.
A Orlando based copyright lawyer can protect your original work of written word which could be a book, an article, song lyrics or many other things. If your work is copyrighted, no one can claim it as their own work. You have the exclusive right to do whatever you want with the work. You can authorize others to perform certain actions in relation to your work and even assign your copyright to someone else usually an entity such as a publisher or record company. Payment may include a one-time fee for your work, royalties or you may provide use at no charge.
Copyright Protection Orlando
Having a Copyright gives you permission to reproduce your work via copies or phonorecords and to prepare derivative works based on the original work. These rights allow you to distribute the copies to the public by lending it, leasing it, renting it, selling it or otherwise transferring ownership of your original work. You can also display anything you own the copyright on in the public, including images of a motion picture, such as an image from a scene to be used as a marketing poster. If the work is a sound recording, it gives you the right to perform the work publicly via a digital audio transmission.
The terms depend on the date the work was first published. Generally, works created after January 1, 1978 are copyrighted for the life of the author plus 70 years. If a piece of work is anonymous, something was written under a pseudonym or if the work was made for hire, the copyright lasts 95 years from the date it was first published or 120 years from the date of the work’s creation, whichever expires first. If your work was created and published prior to 1978, the term depends on several factors and will vary accordingly.
While registration of your work is not required for you to own copyright, it is better to register your works with the U.S. Copyright Office. Part of the process is depositing your work in its recorded form with the U.S. Copyright Office. You must also place the © symbol or the word Copyright on your work. Even if you are the owner of a copyright, you cannot sue for infringement until you register the copyright, according to 17 U.S.C.A. §§411,412. If your work does not have the proper notification, it may be assumed that it is public domain. Given the complexity of submitting and maintaining a copyright it is often best to consult with a copyright attorney.
To learn more about the practice and the ability of our Orlando copyright lawyers to advance your company’s profit and growth objectives, contact the Daniel Law Offices P.A. at 866.377.2836.