Copyright Infringment Lawyer, Internet Defamation, and Internet Privacy

Copyright Law: Questions and Answers

Copyright law, like many types of law, raises numerous issues and questions for clients.  More often than not, these questions can be answered in one of two ways.  First, frequently asked questions such as those available in the United States Copyright Office’s Frequently Asked Questions page, can be answered without legal research and much effort.  On the other hand, practical matters usually require answering multiple legal issues that may arise which require a copyright attorney.  A qualified lawyer can properly identify copyright issues, perform copyright law research, and provide advice and recommendations based upon the copyright findings.

Copyright Protection Not Available for Names, Slogans, Titles, or Short Phrases

Names, titles, and short phrases or expressions are not subject to copyright protection.

Even if a name, title, or short phrase is novel or distinctive or if it lends itself to a play on words, it cannot be protected by copyright. The Copyright Office cannot register claims to exclusive rights in brief combinations of words such as:

Works Made For Hire Under the Copyright Act: Who Owns an Employee's Art?

Avoiding copyright litigation is becoming more challenging for attorneys representing artist, publishers and authors.  Attorneys specializing in copyright litigation matters need to be proactive in managing their clients portfolios, registering copyrights and identifying problems before they occur.  A lot of creative artists and employers do not understand how copyright law affects the ownership of art.  LinkedIn recently had a great thread on the question of who owns an artistic work when an employee creates a work at the office.  The post posed the following question:

Attorney Alert: Defining Original Works Subject to Copyright Protection

If you wish to protect your original works from copyright infringement, you should, as a matter of course, register your copyrights with the United States Copyright Office. 

The United States Copyright Office, defines a Copyright as follows: