If you are in the business of creating distinctive works, then a basic understanding of copyright is essential.
Copyright is infringed when the expression of an idea in literary, dramatic, musical and artistic works work is reproduced without the copyright owners consent. This may include copyright in the drawings or models from which a firm's products were originally made, or an electronic circuit layout.
On a daily basis, businesses are creating works and documentation which are the subject of copyright. Copyright covers the protection of expressive items such as documents, books, images, videos, sound recordings, manuals, marketing materials, websites, advertising materials, architectural drawings, graphic art, music, lyrics and software code. Considerable value often attaches to these business assets.
We are qualified copyright lawyers and we can assist with the implementation of copyright strategies, including copyright licensing and copyright infringement disputes.
Unlike other forms of intellectual property in Australia, copyright is not conferred by registration but rather automatically arises upon the creation of the original work in material form. This automatic right generally applies for the life of the creator and then a further 70 year period.
There is no government registration system for copyright protection in Australia. However, we are of the view that it is very useful to register evidence of creative work in the event of a dispute.
If there’s a dispute about who created something protected by copyright, it may need to be resolved by a court. A court would look at all the relevant evidence. To that end, we provide our clients with a unique Copyright Registry, to record their work in our archive for future evidence. In addition, we will register the work with the United States Copyright Office, to assist with court proceedings in Australia, under sections 126A and 126B of the Copyright Act.