The Copyright Act protects a wide variety of works of authorship, from individual articles or photographs that may not have a high commercial value to motion pictures worth hundreds of millions of dollars in the marketplace.
Copyright owners can file lawsuits under the copyright law for unauthorized use of the owner’s work.
However, not all copyright owners have the same resources for bringing a lawsuit, which usually requires substantial time, money, and effort.
Sometimes a copyright owner may want to stop a small infringement that has caused a relatively small amount of economic damage. The owner might not file a lawsuit because of a modest recovery versus the potentially large expense of litigation.
In some cases under the copyright act, owners can receive statutory damages and attorney’s fees, but these amount may not be recovered until after the copyright owner has engaged in a long court battle at a significant cost.
So Congress has asked the Copyright Office to study the current system for a means to resolve small copyright claim disputes, as well as possible alternative systems.
To conduct this study, the Office has undertaken a variety of activities to learn more about small copyright claims issues. The Office has published three Notices of Inquiry requesting public comments on the challenges faced under the current system as well as possible alternatives to the current legal system.
If you would like to add your voice to the study, you can enter your comments here.
How Can I Help?
Copyrights can be a source of great income, or great liability. If you have a work that needs protection, or know someone that can use my help, please contact me for a free 30 minute consultation at nvantreeck@usip.com or call TOLL FREE at 1-855-UR IDEAS (1-855-874-3327) and ask for Norman.
– Ex astris, scientia –
I am and avid amateur astronomer and intellectual property attorney in Pasadena, California. As a former Chief Petty Officer in the U.S. Navy, I am a proud member of the Armed Service Committee of the Los Angeles County Bar Association working to aid all active duty and veterans in our communities. Connect with me on Google +
Norman