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Graffiti Copyright Battles

November 14, 2015 Written by The Copyright Detective
Graffiti Copyright Battles

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, […]

art, derivative works, graffiti, images, infringement, news, permission
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Boomers Beware of Copyright Infringem...

November 7, 2015 Written by The Copyright Detective
Boomers Beware of Copyright Infringement!

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 […]

images, infringement, song lyrics
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Trademark vs Copyright

October 30, 2015 Written by The Copyright Detective
Trademark vs Copyright

A common point of confusion for our publishing clients is trademark vs copyright. Most people seem to know that patents, another type of intellectual property (IP), cover inventions, but most do not know what protections are afforded by copyright and trademark. Both trademarks and copyrighted works are IP assets that are offered protection in the U.S. Constitution, but they differ significantly. […]

copyright notice, copyright registration, Rights, trademark
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Substantial similarities

October 17, 2015 Written by The Copyright Detective
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 […]

copyright, infringement
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Animal Copyrights?

September 26, 2015 Written by The Copyright Detective
Animal Copyrights?

Animal copyrights ownership: a nature photographer and self-publisher vs. a crested macaque. Animal copyrights is one of the more interesting copyright court cases of late. In September 2015 PETA filed a copyright infringement suit in a California federal court asking that Naruto, a crested macaque, be declared the copyright owner of a selfie he took in […]

images, infringement, news, Rights
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Quoting Song Lyrics and Staying Legal

May 6, 2015 Written by The Copyright Detective
Quoting Song Lyrics and Staying Legal

Considering quoting song lyrics in your book? A primary question to consider when quoting song lyrics is the importance of the lyrics to your message. If they are important, do you need permission from their copyright owners to use them in your work? It is often wise to clear copyright on even a line or two of song […]

copyright clearance, permission, song lyrics
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Territories

February 25, 2015 Written by The Copyright Detective
Territories

Territories – Its Place in Copyright Compliance As Sally Ride once said, “All adventures, especially into new territory, are scary.” If you have recently entered the publishing business, possibly as a self-publisher, a key decision you will have to make is in which territories you plan to distribute your works.  Questions regarding sales and distribution can be […]

copyright clearance, permission, Rights, self-publishing
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Credit Due – Attribution

August 13, 2014 Written by The Copyright Detective
Credit Due – Attribution

What part does attribution play in publishing? Whether you are blogging, creating an ebook, or publishing a print book, it’s important to know something about attribution. When you give attribution to a work you are giving the creator the credit he/she is due. We have spoken often before in this blog about the need for […]

attribution, plagiarism
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Derivatives – Build on Another&...

July 6, 2014 Written by The Copyright Detective
Derivatives – Build on Another’s Work

Derivatives must be transformative U.S. Copyright Law is all about protecting creators’ works in order to offer incentive to these creators so that they keep on producing works for the good of society. So it seems that building on an existing work such as a play, poem, song, or film would be blessed in the eyes […]

derivative work, derivatives, fair use, infringement, parody
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Part II: Terms of Use & Copyrigh...

June 23, 2014 Written by The Copyright Detective
Part II: Terms of Use & Copyright

Careful review of Terms of Use (TOU) may keep you from infringing on the copyrights of others, as we discussed in Part I. In this part we will discuss why it is important to know that you can use TOUs to protect your own work from abuse by others. If you were contributing to a print work, you […]

infringement, terms of use
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Quick links to recent blog posts

  • 40 millionth US copyright registration
  • CASE Act of 2020
  • What writers need to know about copyright
  • Public Domain Bonanza
  • New Circulars from Copyright Office
  • Songwriters sue the DOJ
  • Format Matters with Permissions Requests
  • Animal Copyrights cont.

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