Copyrights

The final facet of intellectual property law that Greigg & Greigg PLLC manages is copyright law.  Our firm has a occasional focus in advising clients on matters involving copyright infringement and obtaining federal copyrights for their published works.

Avoiding copyright infringement

What constitutes material susceptible of being copyrighted and how long those copyrights are effective is another complex area of intellectual property law.  Unfortunately, not understanding these laws and thus, perhaps unintentionally, infringing on all or part of another’s copyrighted material can result in substantial damages. In general, the rules of copyright law appear to be fairly straightforward:

• The creator of a copyrighted work retains all exclusive rights of
  • Reproducing the work
  • Distributing copies of the work
  • Performing/displaying the work
  • Preparing derivative works
• The creator’s rights are valid throughout his/her lifetime and 70 years past his or her death
• If the work was co-authored with other people who are not employees the copyright is protected for 70 years after the last author’s death
• A corporation owns exclusive copyright until 100 years after the work’s creation

However, there are several instances where copyright law slips into a murky area.  When copyrights, either all or partial, are divided and relinquished to various parties, who owns how much of a given work can become quite a complex matter. This juncture is where the advice and guidance of skilled attorneys can be very valuable.

Greigg & Greigg PLLC evaluate the copyright ownership for a number of creative works and advise their clients as to whether their intended use is an infringement or lawful use.

Obtaining federal copyrights

Occasionally, the firm also assists clients filing for federal copyright on the work they have produced.  Our counsel during the process helps ensure that all legal obligations have been met during the procedure to ensure a comprehensive filing and protection of your creative rights.