Wha What? Copyright Protection Explained
Copyrights Are the IP Protection Tool of Choice. As a business owner in a digital world, your intellectual property is one of your most valuable assets. How can you protect it? Today — more than ever before — copyrights provide the IP protection solution you need.
What Do Copyrights Protect? A copyright protects all kinds of expressions of ideas, from desktop and mobile software applications, SaaS solutions, screen displays, mobile, PC, and video games, photographs, graphic images, all kinds of artwork, product designs, promotional and other videos, concepts, music, books, writings, and all other original creations that are expressed in some form of a “tangible medium.”
What is a Tangible Medium? A “tangible medium” is something you can see, be it a piece of paper or words displayed on a computer screen or mobile device. Once you have an idea, and that idea is reduced to a tangible form, the expression of that idea, if original, is entitled to copyright protection.
A Copyright Owner’s Exclusive Rights. A copyright owner is entitled to a bundle of exclusive rights, which include the rights to:
(1) reproduce the copyrighted work;
(2) prepare new works (known as “derivative works”) based upon the copyrighted work;
(3) license, transfer, assign, and distribute copies of the copyrighted work; and
(4) perform and display the copyrighted work publicly.
Infringement. The exercise of any of these exclusive rights without the permission of the copyright owner constitutes copyright infringement.
Boom. A registered U.S. Copyright owner is entitled to a collection valuable benefits and powerful tools to protect the copyrighted work from unauthorized use.
SLG has extensive experience representing U.S. and international clients on U.S. Copyright matters, including registration, enforcement, and litigation for software, mobile games, designs, photographs, and other forms of copyrightable works. Contact SLG for a complimentary consultation at copyrights@shelgroup.com. Please see our website at https://www.shelgroup.com/practices/intellectual-property/