The Copyright Act

Under The Copyright Act of 1976, an owner of a copyright has exclusive reproduction rights, distribution rights, the right to create adaptations (derivative work), the right to prepare new works based on the protected work, and performance and display rights.

The owner may license or sell any of these rights for a profit. It is common for the owner to place certain limitations on how these rights can be used, such as the period of time in which they can be used, the number of times they can be used, the specific location in which the rights may be used, and more.

A good example of this is getting photographs from the internet. If you search Google images, most of those pictures are copyrighted. This is because copyright protection comes into existence when the protected work is created. However, certain photo-bank sites will license, or allow you to use, their photos if you give credit to the site or pay a fee for the pictures.

If you want to register your copyright, are wondering if you may be infringing on somebody’s copyright, or feel that someone is infringing on your copyright, contact Boyer Law Firm today. We can help you to enforce the Copyright Act.