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 […]
Posts in category copyright
CASE Act of 2020
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 […]
What writers need to know about copyr...
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 […]
New Circulars from Copyright Office
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 […]
Animal Copyrights cont.
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 esse...
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 […]
Substantial similarities
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 […]