What is copyright?
Briefly, copyright is a legal device which provides the owner of the work (e.g., book, manuscript, software program, artwork, technical drawings, etc.) exclusive rights over the work, such as the right to make copies, the right to distribute copies, the right to make adaptations (prepare new works based on the underlying work), as well as the right to perform and/or display the work in public. Copyright protects an author’s work only if and to the extent it is original (i.e., not copied from another’s work). However, a work need not be entirely new to be protectable. Certain works are derived from previously existing works or are compilations of pre-existing material and become new works of authorship entitled to copyright protection.

When is a work considered copyrighted?
Copyright automatically comes into existence the moment an author fixes his or her work in some tangible form, e.g., an article is typed, software code is written.

Who owns copyright in a work?
If a work is created as a "work-for-hire," ownership generally goes to the employer (or person who commissioned the work in certain instances). Otherwise, ownership remains in the author and must be expressly assigned.

Is a copyright notice required?
In the past, all published works had to contain a copyright notice (©, name of owner, date) to be protected. Now the use of copyright notice is optional, but it is always a good idea to include copyright notice on all published works to warn potential infringers of your claim to copyright.

Is copyright registration required?
Registration of a work with the U.S. Copyright Office is not required. However, prompt registration provides a number of important advantages if it is ever necessary to go to court to enforce it. For example, registration makes your copyright a matter of public record and may provide you with the ability to collect statutory damages and attorney fees in the event of litigation.

How much does it cost to register a work?
Our attorney fee for preparation and filing of a copyright application, provided all deposit materials are in order, is $400 which does not include the $45 government filing fee. Certain types of applications, including software, website, and architectural works generally run about $250 - $300 more due to the strict deposit material requirements.

What are the deposit requirements when registering a work?
The deposit material required varies depending on the type of work to be registered and whether the work has been published. Generally, two copies of the work are required.

How long does a copyright last?
A work that is created on or after January 1, 1978, is automatically protected from the moment of its creation and is ordinarily given a term enduring for the author's life plus an additional 70 years after the author's death. For works made for hire, the duration of copyright will be 95 years from publication or 120 years from creation, whichever is shorter.