Copyright Enforcement

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Copyright enforcement that scales with the problem, from DMCA takedowns and cease and desist demands to federal infringement litigation seeking injunctions, statutory damages, and attorneys' fees against those copying your work.

Owning a copyright doesn't stop anyone from copying it; enforcing it does. The right response depends on the infringer and the stakes, which is why we treat enforcement as a ladder rather than a single move. For widespread online copying, takedowns clear infringing content fast. For deliberate, commercial infringement, we escalate to demand letters and federal litigation. We match the tool to the problem so you spend effort where it actually protects your work.

DMCA Takedown Programs

For infringing copies posted online, DMCA takedown notices are the fastest path to removal. We draft notices that meet the statute's requirements and send them to websites, hosts, marketplaces, and search engines to pull down the content and de-index it. When infringement is constant and high-volume, we run an ongoing takedown program so new copies come down quickly instead of multiplying while you decide what to do.

Cease And Desist Demands

When a takedown isn't enough, or the infringer is a business that should know better, we send a cease and desist that does more than say stop. We frame the demand to halt the conduct, address past use, and open a path to a license or settlement where that serves you. A well-aimed letter often resolves the matter without the cost of suit, while preserving your position if it doesn't.

Federal Infringement Litigation

Copyright infringement claims belong in federal court, and that is where we litigate them. We pursue injunctions to stop the copying, and we seek your recovery, either actual damages plus the infringer's profits, or statutory damages where your registration qualifies, along with attorneys' fees. Our engineering background helps when infringement turns on software, code structure, or technical evidence that a typical litigator has to take on faith.

Criminal Referrals For Piracy

Some infringement crosses from a civil dispute into a crime. Where copying is willful and carried out for commercial advantage at scale, criminal copyright law may apply. We evaluate whether a matter fits that profile and, when it does, prepare and present a referral to the appropriate law enforcement authorities so a piracy operation faces consequences beyond a civil judgment.

Frequently asked questions

A valid notice identifies your copyrighted work, points to the infringing material and where it's located so the provider can find it, and gives your contact information. It also has to include a good-faith-belief statement that the use isn't authorized, a statement under penalty of perjury that the information is accurate and you're authorized to act, and your signature. Leaving out any of these can make the provider ignore it.

You can choose actual damages plus the infringer's profits, or statutory damages, which run up to $150,000 per work for willful infringement. Statutory damages and attorneys' fees are only on the table if the work was registered in time. That choice is often what determines whether a case is worth bringing.

Yes. You generally have to register the work before filing an infringement suit. And registering in time, before the infringement or within three months of publication, is what unlocks statutory damages and attorneys' fees rather than just actual losses. So registration status shapes both whether and how you can enforce.

Fair use is a defense that allows some unlicensed uses, and it's decided case by case, not by a fixed rule. Courts weigh four factors: the purpose and character of the use (including whether it's commercial or transformative), the nature of your work, how much was used, and the effect on the market for your work. Because it's fact-specific, the outcome can be hard to predict before suit.

Enforcement is possible abroad, but the tools and odds vary a lot by country. We coordinate with local counsel in the relevant jurisdiction and rely on international copyright treaties that require many countries to protect foreign works. The realistic strategy depends heavily on where the infringer is and what local law allows.

Possibly, through secondary liability. A party that knowingly induces or materially contributes to infringement, or profits from it while able to control it, can be liable even though it never copied anything itself. That can reach platforms and service providers, though many have defenses like DMCA safe harbor, so the analysis matters.

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