You have worked hard on your creation and it is finally complete. Maybe it is the next Mona Lisa of its time. Maybe it’s the next Harry Potter series of the decade. Whatever it is, you are probably asking yourself, ‘Why should I file a copyright?’ The answer can be summed up in one word: Protection.
Countless people seek out attorneys to help them protect their intellectual property so that others cannot rip it off and benefit financially from that dastardly deed. Here is why you should protect yourself by filing a copyright.
Benefits of a copyright:
- Makes your creation known to other creators
- This will prevent the occurrence of accidental imitations.
- This will establish your creation date for legal purposes. If someone should try to claim you have copied his or her work, you can use your copyright as a legal defense.
- Provides you with legal grounds for action should someone intentionally imitate your work within a certain degree.
- For example, if you were to write seven books that follow an orphaned girl witch through wizarding school, you would likely be sued by J.K. Rowling — author of the Harry Potter series — for copyright infringement.
What can happen if you don’t file a copyright:
- Should someone happen along your work with better marketing skills than you, that person could potentially make lots of money off of your idea.
- Worse still, that person might decide to copyright your work as their own. Unless you have substantial proof as to when you created the work, you may be out of luck.
The question you should be asking yourself is not ‘Why should I file a copyright?’ but “How soon?!”
Seek Credible Legal Advice
A licensed professional attorney can provide the answers to all of your questions regarding copyrights. They can even help you determine if the work you created needs a copyright or is infringing on another’s copyright. The best way to get in touch with one of these professionals is through TalkLocal’s free web services. They will find the right attorney for you, in your area, quickly and easily.
