Intellectual works are now highly sought after in today’s society, and Larson and Larson can help you with your copyright applications to help you keep your creations protected. If you are an author or creator of published or unpublished works in Largo, you know how difficult it is to bring intellectual creations to life, and how easy it is for other people to steal, sell, or take credit for your works.
Why Protect My Work?
With the rise of the internet age, we are introduced to constant updates and changes in technology, making copyrights highly significant. Today’s technology makes sharing information a cinch for anyone, which means that other people can share or sell your work of authorship in a matter of seconds without providing you the compensation or credit you deserve.
Although we cannot stop people from taking advantage of your creation, copyrights allow you to secure and enforce your rights against any infringement that may occur when others choose to display, sell, or use your works in Largo without permission.
How Long Do My Copyrights Last?
The law was created to protect the author, but it also takes into account the importance of constant innovation. The United States government wants to encourage artists to continue to create new pieces, and allowing rights to expire makes room for innovation.
A time limit is placed on your copyrights to promote the creation of new work and to encourage knowledge and creativity. Having a set period allows new authors in Largo to experiment with old ideas without being penalized.
The law provides exclusive legal rights to the author of an original work for 70 years after the life of the individual author. This timeframe allows a sufficient amount of time for you and your family in Largo to reap the benefits of your efforts.
What is Protected Under Copyrights?
Your copyrights will protect original, tangible works of authorship that are either published or unpublished. The Copyright Laws of the United States do not protect vague ideas, no matter how great they are. The works that are protected typically fall into one of the following categories:
- Literary works, including computer programs
- Musical works, including any accompanying words
- Dramatic works, including any accompanying music
- Pantomimes and choreographic works
- Pictorial, graphic, and sculptural works
- Motion pictures and other audiovisual works
- Sound recordings
- Architectural works
What Rights Does a Copyright Grant?
Your copyrights will provide you with certain exclusive rights to your work. Your rights allow you to authorize others to use your creation when you choose and will make it possible for you to take legal action when your production gets used without your permission. The intellectual property covered by the copyright law provides you the exclusive right to:
- Reproduce your work.
- Create derivative works based on your original work.
- Distribute copies of your work to the public. This includes selling, renting, leasing, lending, or even transferring your ownership.
- Publicly perform your production, in the case of literary, musical, dramatic, and choreographic works, pantomimes, and motion pictures and other audiovisual works.
- Publicly display the work, in the case of literary, musical, dramatic, and choreographic works, pantomimes, and pictorial, graphic, or sculptural works, including the individual images of a motion picture or other audiovisual work, as stated in 17 USC § 106.
- Digitally transmit sound recordings utilizing digital audio transmission.
Larson & Larson Can Help Register your Copyrights Today!
If you have original works of authorship, the lawyers at Larson and Larson have the experience necessary to apply for copyright registration to secure your work for the benefit of you and your family in Largo.
We can guide you through the application process, advise you, and help you with any questions or concerns that may come up during the process. If your copyrighted work is infringed, we can litigate to enforce your rights on your behalf. If you would like to discuss your intellectual property in detail, we are here for you! Call us today at (727) 546-0660.