What is a copyright?
Copyright is the exclusive legal right of an author or artist to protect and control his or her literary, artistic, musical or other creative works. Copyright law is derived from the U.S. Constitution, which provides that Congress has the power to promote the progress of science and useful arts by securing for limited times to authors and inventors the exclusive right to their respective writings and discoveries. U.S. Const. art I § 8, cl. 8. Copyright differs from patent protection in that copyright protects original works of authorship, such as a book of poetry, a bronze sculpture, a painting, or a motion picture, while patent protects inventions or discoveries.
Copyright rights do not require registration with the U.S. Copyright Office to establish protection because rights arise from a work’s creation. However, registration provides many advantages to professionals by ensuring protection of vital intellectual property. Note that works must be registered before initiating an infringement claim in the United States.
What we offer
ARC IP Law provides clients a variety of services related to copyright law, including application, filing, copyright search, competitor watch, and representation in litigation.
In addition, we assist authors of novels, poetry, songs, artwork, videos, architecture and computer software in securing fixed-term copyrights, which secure the ultimate protection against a rights violation.