01.
Registration
Single-work and group registrations with the Copyright Office. Literary, visual, musical, audiovisual, and software works.
Practice Area
Copyright Registration & Enforcement
Original work is automatically copyrighted. Registration is what makes it enforceable.
The Practice
An overview of copyright.
Copyright attaches the moment an original work is fixed in tangible form, but you cannot sue for infringement in U.S. federal court without a registration. The firm handles registration, the contracts that decide who owns the copyright at the moment of creation, and enforcement when the work is copied.
Scope of Work
The work the firm performs.
02.
Work-for-hire and assignment
The contract that decides ownership at the moment of creation. Critical for any agency, contractor, or employee relationship.
03.
Licensing
Exclusive, non-exclusive, and sublicensable arrangements. Royalty and grant-back structures.
04.
DMCA enforcement
Takedown notices to platforms and ISPs. Counter-notice response when the process is abused against you.
05.
Infringement litigation
Federal court actions for damages, injunction, and attorney's fees where the registration was timely filed.
Primary Authorities
The statutes that govern.
A selection of the federal and Texas authorities that govern this practice. The firm's work is grounded in primary law, not paraphrase.
- 17 U.S.C. § 102Subject matter of copyright
- 17 U.S.C. § 411Registration as prerequisite to suit
- 17 U.S.C. § 504Statutory damages
- 17 U.S.C. § 512DMCA safe harbor and takedown
Common Questions
Asked on first calls.
01.Do I need to register copyright if it is automatic?
Registration is required to sue in federal court. Timely registration (within three months of publication or before infringement begins) entitles you to statutory damages and attorney's fees.
02.How long does copyright last?
Life of the author plus seventy years. Works made for hire last ninety-five years from publication or one hundred twenty years from creation, whichever expires first.
03.Can I copyright my logo?
Logos can be copyrighted if they meet the originality threshold. Most are also trademarks; the firm typically pursues both for brands of commercial significance.
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