Copyright Infringement
Copyright infringement is something that any reasonable person wants to avoid because it can have serious personal and financial consequences.
There are copyright laws in countries around the world that grant certain exclusive rights to the creators of original works. In the United States those exclusive rights include the right to reproduce the copyrighted work, to distribute copies of the copyrighted work, and to make derivative works based on the copyrighted work. (See more.) Simply put, if someone includes content created by someone else without first getting permission to do so, they may be guilty of copyright infringement.
In the US individuals can be taken to federal court for copyright infringement by the copyright holder of the content they may have infringed. If found guilty of knowingly committing copyright infringement, they could face statutory damages of up to $150,000. They also may have to pay court costs and attorney fees sustained by the rights holder who took them to court.
The Copyright Detective
The Copyright Detective can review your content and identify copyright issues that may need to be addressed. Then we can develop a customized plan to help you become copyright compliant as you create and publish works that reflect your inspiration.
Resources such as our award-winning copyright guidelines will help you successfully navigate US copyright law as you build on the creativity of others.
Click on the navigation links below to the services and resources we offer.
Copyright Compliance Services
- Copyright Clearance Services ~ Identify copyright issues in your created works. Identify rights holders. Submit permissions requests. Review license terms and conditions. Track the permissions acquisition process.
- Copyright Consulting Services ~ Determine your needs for copyright clearance and copyright compliance.
- Copyright Compliance Training ~ Group and one-on-one training to establish copyright compliance policies and procedures.
Resources
- Copyright guidelines: Copyright Clearance for Creatives
- Blogs on timely copyright topics ~ Dozens of blogs on timely copyright topics.
- Articles on copyright topics ~ Articles available for sharing.
- Informational pamphlets ~ More in-depth discussions of timely copyright topics.