Copyright Laws and Policy

A copyright is a specific protection which is applicable to a published or unpublished literary, scientific or artistic work, regardless of the form of the expression of the work, so long as the work is in a tangible or material format.  Consequently, written documents, scientific formulas, songs, artwork, computer graphics or coding, choreography and screenplays may all be copyrighted.  Once copyrighted, a work will be denoted with a copyright symbol.

Defining Copyright Law

Copyright law includes all of the laws which protect the inventor of a literary, scientific or artistic work the exclusive right to produce, reproduce, distribute, perform, display and/or prepare other works based upon the original work publicly. 

Copyright Violations

Copyright violations occur when another person utilizes a copyrighted work without receiving permission of the copyright owner.  This is sometimes referred to as “illegal copyright usage.”  Copyright violation penalties include monetary damages, which can be significant, depending upon the particular circumstances of each case.

Copyright Fair Use

Occasionally, it may be possible to utilize a copyrighted work without the permission of the owner.  Copyright fair use is a practice frequently used in the media and research where part of a copyrighted work is used “as is.”  However, credit is given to the creator of the material in such an instance. 

Copyright Legal Help

If one is seeking to obtain a copyright or is faced with a copyright violation lawsuit, one may seek to obtain the services of an experienced copyright attorney.  An experienced attorney can evaluate one’s claim in order to determine one’s legal options.