Why you should file a copyright
One may be wondering what to do with their work so that that they protect it from being plagiarized by other people. For such cases, one should file for copyright. One will need to seek the services of an experienced and specialized attorney who will help them to go through the whole process of filing the copyright.
Filing for a copyright gives the author of the legal work rights over its use and distribution. The duration of a copyright includes the number of years the author will live and an additional fifty to a hundred years after the author’s death which in most cases is dependent on the jurisdiction. Anyone using the copyrighted works without the owner’s permission will surely find themselves on the wrong side of the law.
Reasons why you should file a copyright for your works
Assertion of rights
Sometimes someone may plagiarize your idea and sue you for your unregistered copyright. This may make it difficult to assert your rights in the court. Some cases of plagiarism are often obvious, but it is the final decision of the court that matters since they are the ones to determine who came up with the idea first. Filing a copyright will ensure that one can easily assert their rights in court since they have enough evidence to do so.
Having temporary injunction rights
A certificate of registration is given to the owner of the idea within five years from the date of the creation. This certificate serves as proof of ownership of the work they have created. This is an important document since it gives one the power to get an injunction against someone infringing on their work. Without this certificate, it will be difficult to get these injunction rights.
Sending cease letters
When one files the copyrights of their work, they can send a cease letter to the person using their work without their consent which may also include a threat of legal action in the case of non-compliance. This happens in cases where the copyright infringement is settled out of court.
Right to sue for copyright infringement
In some states, one can only bring an infringement lawsuit if they have registered their copyright. To be on the safer side, one should ensure they file for the copyrights. Some states may agree to proceed with the lawsuit after registering the copyright which has a lawsuit, but the expedited handling is costly.
Earning more money when prompt registration is done
One should ensure that they get their copyright registered as soon as possible. This is mostly due to the level of protection gotten from timely registration. A copyright registered within three months of creation that has a lawsuit on it and the owner wins the lawsuit; they end up getting more money from it. The copyright registered after three months from its creation date will see one forfeit their rights to get statutory damages and all the other legal costs incurred including the attorney’s fee.
Do not allow someone to use your work unlawfully, spare some money to pay for legal fees and have a copyright for your work.