The 40 millionth US copyright registration was completed on July 8, 2022! This historic 40 millionth US copyright registration milestone coincided with the 152nd birthday of the US Copyright Office. That doesn’t mean that ONLY 40 million works are under copyright protection in the United States. That means that 40 million works have been properly […]
The Copyright Alternative in Small-Claims Enforcement (CASE) Act of 2020 is the latest federal law regarding copyright law. This act created a Copyright Claims Board (CCB) that offers a low cost alternative to federal court for bringing suit for alleged copyright infringement. The CCB began accepting cases in June 2022. A number of cases are pending as […]
DISCLAIMER: I am not an attorney. This article does not offer legal advice. It offers some practical insights from someone who assists writers in identifying and resolving copyright issues. US copyright law is complex and often confusing. This article highlights some of the basics of US copyright law that every writer should understand, preferably BEFORE […]
January 1, 2019 marks a significant date in US copyright law. On this “Public Domain Day 2019” thousands of works from 1923 previously protected under US copyright laws became public domain. Duke Law’s Center for the Study of the Public Domain reviews “Public Domain Day 2019” and has similar archives going back to 2010. You may […]
In September 2017 the US Copyright Office began releasing a new series of copyright circulars that provide simple explanations of US copyright law on specific topics. These circulars are divided into seven categories: Foundations of Copyright (10 Circulars, including two in Spanish) Office Practices and Procedures (17 Circulars, including one in Spanish) Copyright Concepts (10 […]
Naruto is not monkeying around folks! The saga of the monkey Naruto’s copyright battle continues. This blog is about more than animal copyrights, however. Regardless of the outcome, there is an obvious lesson for all publishers in Naruto’s case and its appeal regarding the copyrights to the photos taken by the monkey. This case, (discussed below) […]
Timely Copyright Registration is Essential Timely copyright registration is essential. All of us, whether authors, bloggers, or companies with a web presence, can let an important step in publishing fall through the cracks. No one may be aware of a problem until they are slammed into the brick wall of infringement-without-an-expedient–means-to-address-it. Often companies and bloggers with […]
I recently acquired copyright permission for a client to use a photograph of a mural painted on the wall of a restaurant. On first consideration, my client didn’t even factor into his publication plan what action might be required for the legal use of the mural. At the time the painting was conceived and created, […]
We often help Baby Boomers with copyright clearance issues as they come close to realizing a long-held goal of getting their memoirs written and published. Avoiding accidental copyright infringement is a frequent discussion topic. Baby Boomers want to write their memoirs for various reasons. They may suddenly be compelled to take that step of authorship because they have such […]
How does the concept of substantial similarities relate to copyright infringement? When we hear that only the expression of an idea and not the idea itself can lead to an infringement claim, we should use caution in assuming that only direct quotes or close paraphrasing will get us in trouble. We may mistakenly think, “Oh […]