Copyright FAQs
Straight answers on working with us, litigation, trademarks, patents, copyright, business formation, and more. Search, filter by topic, or ask your own question below.
Copyright springs into existence automatically the moment an original work is fixed in tangible form—but registration still matters. You generally must register before you can sue for infringement, and registering early (within the statutory window) unlocks statutory damages and attorney's fees, which are often what make a case worth bringing. For anything valuable, like your software or signature content, register sooner rather than after a problem appears.
Copyright
Usually the contractor—not you—unless a written agreement assigns it to you or it qualifies as a work made for hire. This catches a lot of companies off guard: you paid for the logo, the code, the site, and you still don't own it. The fix is simple and cheap: a written agreement with clear IP-assignment language signed before the contractor starts. Get it in place every time.
Copyright