Copyright Licensing Basics

A copyright is a specific protection which is applicable to a published or unpublished literary, scientific or artistic work, regardless of the form of the expression of the work, so long as the work is in a tangible or material format.  Copyright licensing occurs when one transfers their copyright to another individual. 

Copyright Licensing Senarios

Some common copyright licensing scenarios include the following examples:

• music copyright licensing when other artists seek to use the musician’s work
• author copyright licensing when a production company seeks to make a movie from a book
• artist copyright licensing when a project seeks to use an image in connection with a specific task

Copyright Licensing Rights

Once one has a copyright license, generally the holder has the same copyright licensing rights as the original copyright owner, unless there are restrictions in place. Thus, one may be able to institute actions against others for copyright infringement enforcement purposes.  However, the copyright may be licensed to others and therefore be a non-exclusive license.  In such a case, the non-exclusive license should be in writing so that all parties are aware of the ability of others to use the copyrighted work.  Copyright licensing policy indicates that parties to a licensing agreement are treated fairly and understand the terms of the agreement; an experienced attorney can assist in the creation of such a contract.

Copyright Licensing Legal Help

Copyright licensing matters are complicated and therefore, if one is involved in a copyright matter, one should seek the assistance of legal counsel.  An experienced copyright attorney can assist one in navigating a copyright legal claim or in structuring a copyright licensing agreement.