[dropcap]A[/dropcap]re you an artist, a musician, filmmaker, design engineer, a programmer, an architect, or a writer? Do you wish to protect your creative work or intellectual property? Get a copyright or an intellectual property lawyer.
At a time where everyone has access to the internet or software applications to edit productions, your work can be easily used by another person without crediting you and reaping profits from your work. You have worked hard to create your unique works and protection is necessary. Since it is impossible to watch every hand accessing your work, you need a lawyer.
Here are more reasons why a copyright or intellectual property lawyer is necessary:
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Copyright registration
Even though the law recognized published work as copyrighted work, there are gaps in the law providing the protection and you therefore need to register the work. The federal Copyright Act governs copyrights and protects dramatic works, literary works, musical works, architectural works etc.
The sections of the act should be adhered to during registration and a lawyer will help you in the process since it can be lengthy and complicated.
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Obtaining statutory damages
If your work is copyrighted, an attorney will be needed to argue the case in court. The statutory damages for a registered copyright range from $750 to $150,000, but getting that amount will need a proficient legal brain with experience in similar cases.
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A lawyer will negotiate your contract terms
As an artist, you may find yourself struggling with the contracts and the terms stated therein. Getting a contract written and signed is easy, but are the terms favorable to an artist or any owner of intellectual property?
Contracts are legally binding once signed. A lawyer knows this and they will only let you sign when the contract is favorable and when there is a clause that outlines how situations arising later will be handled. Limitations that are unfavorable in clauses will be exposed and expunged if necessary.
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To fend off DMCA Claims
The DMCA is the Digital Millennium Copyright Act. Claims can be placed to the authority where you can be accused of posting or using content without the owner’s permission.
In such copyright infringement cases, you can lose your assets or suffer other tough punishments. To get off the DMCA hook, you will need a highly trained and richly experienced lawyer to defend you.
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Licensing your work to others
Commercials, businesses, and other artists may want to use your work. Though this is an exciting and often rewarding opportunity, you shouldn’t sign away the rights to your intellectual property carelessly.
Get a lawyer. A good lawyer will prepare a contract, and any other supporting document for licensing your property to be used by others. A lawyer will basically protect you from yourself.
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Copyright renewal
Renewals can easily go unrecognized. This can result in high penalty fees. As you work hard and get busy, a lawyer will help run things by ensuring that the copyright registered is renewed in time.
In conclusion, a copyright infringement lawyer is the most important person in an artist’s life. Protection of intellectual property is important and an experienced, knowledgeable, aggressive, and a lawyer with a high level of integrity is the person you should hire to protect you.
Meghan Canon is a renowned copyright infringement attorney in San Diego. She runs a big law firm specializing in commercial, corporate, and business law. When not working, she enjoys cooking and teaching.
