Rogers, AR Copyright Attorney

    Speak to An Attorney Regarding Your Case

    A copyright is a necessary part of protecting your original work. A copyright allows a person or business to claim unique ideas that can then be used to turn a profit in various ways. Failure to have a copyright could mean that you relinquish several rights that copyright owners are entitled to. If you or a family member need assistance managing a copyright, contact an experienced Rogers copyright attorney today.

    At Gunn Kieklak Dennis, LLP, our personal injury attorneys are dedicated to providing you with the legal services you need to ensure that your copyright protections are asserted. Our firm has worked with residents of Rogers, Fayetteville, Springdale, and across Arkansas, and we would be honored to work with you. To schedule a confidential legal consultation, contact Gunn Kieklak Dennis, LLP at (479) 439-9840, or contact us online.

    How Copyrights Work

    Copyright is a legal work of authorship that is fixed in a tangible medium. To affix your work in a tangible medium means that you put your work in writing or affixed it in a manner that could be perceived in other ways. For example, if an artist creates lyrics for an original song, this would be considered a copyright. Other forms of copyrightable work include:

    • Architectural works
    • Computer software
    • Literary novels
    • Paintings, sculptures, and even digital art
    • Motion pictures and original scores of music produced for the picture

    It is important to note that there are certain works that copyright cannot protect, like ideas or methods of operations for a company. However, there are other forms of protections for discoveries or slogans, such as a patent or a trademark.

    An original work gains copyright protection from the moment it is put into writing or in a form that can be perceived, like a song. For example, once you begin writing a novel, the work you created, whether it is complete or not is copyrightable. However, while you may have some copyright protections from merely putting your work in a tangible form, you will not have full copyright protection until you register your work with the U.S. Copyright Office.

    Additionally, if two or more people are involved in the creation of a copyrightable work, the work can either be divided by their contributions or each party could have an interest in the work.

    There are some exceptions that will not allow the creator of a copyright to own the original work they produced. For example, if an employee creates a copyrightable work that is within the scope of their employment, the work will be owned by their employer. Another similar example is work produced by an independent contractor that signs the rights to the work over to the party that hired them.

    To learn more about copyrights and registering copyrights, continue reading and speak with an experienced Arkansas copyright lawyer.

    Benefits of Registering a Copyright

    There are several benefits to registering a copyright with the U.S Copyright Office. The registration of a copyright will give the general public notice that your work is protected. One benefit offered after the registration of a copyright is the legal presumption of the validity of your copyright if you must file a copyright infringement lawsuit.

    While you can file an infringement lawsuit without registering your work, winning an infringement lawsuit for a protected copyright can give you access to the following damages:

    • Statutory damages
    • Attorneys’ fees
    • Profits lost by the infringement

    Upon registration of their mark, a copyright owner also gains the power to profit from their work. For example, if you own a copyrighted work, you can lease the work to another party for profit. Other benefits provided by copyright registration include:

    • The ability to reproduce your work
    • The right to create spinoffs from your original work
    • The right to sell copies of your work (e.g., a novel, artwork)
    • The ability to perform your work for profit, like a musical or play
    • The right to display your work to the public

    It is important to note that copyright registration also gives you the ability to prevent unauthorized copies of your work from being imported in the United States. However, there are limited options for protecting the infringement of your work that occurs in other countries if the U.S. has not signed a treaty with that country.

    Contact Our Experienced Rogers, AR Copyright Lawyer to Manage Your Copyright

    If you require assistance with your copyright, contact an experienced Rogers copyright lawyer today. The legal team at Gunn Kieklak Dennis, LLP have decades of combined legal experience, and we are ready to use this knowledge to help you protect your copyright. To schedule a confidential legal consultation, contact Gunn Kieklak Dennis, LLP at (479) 439-9840.