While works become copyrighted when they are fixed in a tangible medium, formal registration of copyrights provide owners with very important leverage should copyright infringement occur. Patterson can assist you with every step of the copyright registration process, from identifying copyrightable material, to filing an application with the U.S. Copyright Office, to maintaining and enforcing copyrights in the global market.

Our copyright registration services include:

Creative works are protected via copyright when they are first fixed in a tangible medium of expression, such as on paper or on a computer hard drive. Copyrights are interesting in the sense that they are typically vested in the creator or author of the work, however, there is the option to have the copyrights assigned to another party by agreement or relationship.

Although copyright protection is automatic, much like trademarks, registering a copyright with the U.S. Copyright Office provides important protections. For example, registering a copyright provides the copyright owner the ability to recover statutory damages and attorneys’ fees for infringement. The duration of a copyright depends on several factors, but generally works created after January 1, 1978, will be copyrighted for the life of the author plus 70 years.