Do I Need to Register Copyright?
If you must pursue copyright registration, you must do so with a Copyright Lawyer Houston. If you are facing copyright infringement accusations, you must also contact a lawyer.
Copyright is a very complicated and often misunderstood legal concept. It sounds like an easy thing to do, but there are several misconceptions that can lead to disputes over copyright infringement which end up costing you more money than they’re worth.
Most people don’t realize that you don’t need to register your copyright for the photos or videos you use. The moment a creative work comes into existence, the creator automatically becomes the copyright holder under U.S. law. However, they will have less advantages in protecting their copyright if they don’t register it with the Copyright Office.
Copyright registration
As a copyright holder, you can file to register your copyrighted work in the United States at any time after it is created or published. However, in order for you to have a significant legal advantage, federal offices & agents are more likely to see your ownership as valid when you show a strong intention of ownership to them upfront. They see this clearly when you perform “timely registration.” Timely registration means that you register your copyrighted work within 3 months of publication, or prior to any copyright infringement. This makes it a lot easier for you to present a strong case and win a lawsuit against an infringer.
Responding to cease and desist notices
When a third party suspects copyright infringement, often they will send a cease and desist letter ordering you in writing to stop using their copyrighted material without permission. For the best outcome, cease and desist letters always require responses.
The most immediate option is to respond to this letter indicating that you have stopped using the offending material. If, however, you have doubts that you are purposefully infringing on their rights, or you are certain that you have a license to use the sender’s copyrighted material, or your use is considered “fair use,” this is good cause to contact the lawyer.
Pursuing copyright infringement claims in the courts
A lawyer will help you to navigate the complexities of copyright law and copyright lawsuits well before you are sued or want to sue an infringer. Naturally, when artists and entrepreneurs produce creative works, copyright law is new to them. They are unaware of their rights, and they are unaware of the potential liabilities (both financial and emotional) of plagiarizing someone else’s work. Hire a copyright lawyer too late, and without the proper legal preparation, a copyright infringement lawsuit could go sideways. This is why we recommend contacting an attorney the moment you begin producing and publishing creative works. You will be better prepared to answer and ask any questions necessary, as well as understand what is and what isn’t considered copyright infringement under the law.
Keep in mind that the author of this blog is not licensed to practice law, and nothing here is to be construed as legal advice; it is here only for educational and informational purposes. If you require sound legal advice, contact a copyright lawyer.
What Is a Corporate Lawyer? (Houston Edition)
There are many sides to law in a business, and one of them is called “corporate law.” Corporate law focuses on helping businesses conduct their affairs in a manner that is efficient and consistent with the law, especially in business structure, conducting transactions, and exit strategies.
In order to avoid legal challenges and problems later down the line, it is advisable to select the right lawyer to prepare you in advance for the complexities of business law. The legal field is vast and complex, and you will find that many lawyers specialize in a particular area of law. Legal professionals employed in larger law firms usually specialize in one or two specific areas. A corporation might want to use a smaller law firm that’s compatible with their needs, especially one that specializes in corporate law.
Corporate lawyers Lloyd & Mousilli have provided services to clients in a variety of sophisticated corporate and transactional legal matters for businesses in a number of different industries.
One of the ways in which a corporate lawyer can help a business succeed is by setting up a business entity as a separate legal structure. Much like a sole proprietorship, a partnership is easy to create with lower costs to launch the business. A corporation is a legal, artificial entity separate from its shareholders and has standing to enter into contracts, sue and be sued, and perform other tasks necessary to keep a business running.
In the United States, corporations are formed in accordance with the laws of a state. Most small business owners use a local attorney who specializes in corporate law on a retainer basis, so they have outside counsel to rely on.
Lloyd & Mousilli is particularly experienced in addressing multijurisdictional issues. With experience as in-house counsel, their team essentially serves a similar role to what an in-house counsel provides at much larger companies. Clients large and small, public and private, rely on the skill and understanding of these lawyers to stay one step ahead.
Corporate law encompasses a wide range of situations and matters relating to how corporations operate and interact. You may not wish to hire a lawyer who dabbles in a wide range of practice areas.
The guidance of a corporate lawyer from the set up of the company is key to ensuring a successful beginning to your economic activities.
In addition, one of the most common ways to earn money or acquire capital for running a corporation is buying and selling a business or its assets. A corporate lawyer is especially helpful with mergers and acquisitions, which is when a company is bought and/or merged with another company.
Now that you have a general overview of what corporate lawyers are capable of and what they can do for your business, you owe it to yourself to find a legal advisor and and them how specifically they can help you with your business challenges and needs. We recommend Lloyd & Mousilli because of their experience serving major corporations including Amazon as well as local small businesses. While some law firms have a broad span of knowledge, and others are highly specialized in one area, this Houston-headquartered firm strikes the perfect balance, having deep expertise in serving the needs of business owners on all levels of the scale, big & small.
For more information on corporate law, we suggest reading How to File an International Trademark When You’re Ready to Take Your Business Global | DeviceDaily.com – a piece on high-level IP law, which is one of the important aspects of corporate law Lloyd & Mousilli specializes in.