What Is Copyright Protection and How it Works?

A copyright is a form of legal protection for your creative work that excludes others from using it without your consent. A copyright protects original works by an author, like a book or poem, a film, a piece of music or art, or even computer software or a type of architecture. It does not protect inventions or processes, which are the area of protection for patents. It also does not protect ideas themselves unless they are expressed in some fixed or tangible form. To have the protection of a copyright, your work does not have to be published, but it is wise to register your work for a copyright so that if someone steals it for their own use, you can file a lawsuit for copyright infringement.

What a Copyright Does For You

A registered copyright creates an official public record that says that you’re the original author of a work. While copyright law, since 1978, says that works are automatically protected with a copyright when they are created, it is still beneficial to register for a copyright with the U.S. Copyright Office because if you do not, and then someone contests your authorship or tries to use your work, you have no legal recourse and there’s nothing you can do. However, if you’re registered, you can sue for copyright infringement and you can also sue for related damages and financial loss if someone has used your work and made a profit from doing it.

Call to Schedule an Appointment With a California Copyright Protection Lawyer Today

If you want to learn more about the benefits of copyright protection, call to schedule a consultation with a California copyright protection lawyer today. The intellectual property experts at the Law Offices of Dorian Cartwright can help you understand copyright protection and can help you if someone has infringed upon your rights.  We serve the cities of San Jose, Palo Alto, Mountain View, Santa Clara, San Francisco and surrounding communities. Check out our web page at cartwrightesq.com or give us a call at 1-800-810-8030 and our friendly and knowledgeable staff will be happy to answer any questions you may have about copyright protection.