Copyright covers a wider range of work than most people expect: source code, user interfaces, databases, marketing copy, video, audio, and visual art all qualify. We help you register what you create, license it on terms that pay you without giving away the store, and go after copying when it happens. Because the firm grew out of software engineering, we are especially comfortable with the copyright questions that come up around code and digital products.
Registration That Strengthens Your Hand
You get rights automatically when you create a work, but registration with the Copyright Office unlocks the leverage that matters: the ability to sue, statutory damages, and attorneys' fees. We advise on what to register and when, prepare and file applications, and keep your registrations organized as your catalog grows. Timely registration before infringement happens is often the difference between a real remedy and an expensive lesson, so we help you build it into your workflow.
Software And Digital Works
Software copyright sits right where copyright law and technology meet, and the details get technical fast. We advise on protecting source code, object code, user interfaces, and databases, including how to register code while protecting trade secrets in the same files. We also work through the harder questions around APIs, screen displays, and the line between protectable expression and unprotectable function, drawing on attorneys who have written and shipped real software.
Licensing Your Content
A license is how creative work earns money while you keep ownership. We structure and negotiate publishing agreements, software licenses, content distribution deals, synchronization licenses for music, and digital rights arrangements. The terms that decide your outcome are usually the unglamorous ones: scope, exclusivity, territory, term, reversion, and audit rights. We make sure those clauses say what you intend and protect you if the relationship sours later.
Enforcement When Copying Happens
When someone uses your work without permission, we pursue it. We handle copyright infringement claims in federal court, seeking injunctions, actual or statutory damages, and attorneys' fees, and we use DMCA takedowns and demand letters when those resolve things faster and cheaper. We also defend clients accused of infringement, including fair use and license defenses. Either way, you get a straight read on the strength of the claim before you commit to a fight.