Copyrights

Copyrights

A Copyright is a legal means of protecting an author’s work. It is a type of intellectual property that provides exclusive publication, distribution, and usage rights for the author. This means whatever content the author created cannot be used or published by anyone else without the consent of the author. The length of copyright protection may vary from country to country, but it usually lasts for the life of the author plus 50 to 100 years.

photography of people inside room during daytime

Copyright Registration

Copyright registration grants its proprietor sole rights to distribute, replicate, reproduce the work or give authorization to another entity for the same. Azer Corporate will guide you through the entire process to ensure that your Copyright has been registered. Generally, the registration procedures is as follows:

  • Fill an application form;
  • Pay a levy per work;
  • Avail a copy of work(s) to be copyrighted;
  • Application is processed; and
  • Certificate of Registration is issued to the Owner/Author, upon satisfactory search result.

Copyright Enforcement

If somebody infringes your copyright, you are entitled to file a lawsuit in court to enforce your rights. Remedies include obtaining an injunction or restraining order to prevent additional violations, an award of money damages, and possibly attorneys’ fees. The court can also order while an action is pending that any copies that are alleged to be in violation of the copyright owner’s exclusive rights, as well as templates for reproduction and records, be impounded. When making its final orders, the court can order the destruction or disposition of all the infringing copies that violated the copyright owner’s exclusive rights, as well as the templates for reproduction.

At Azer, whether a copyright owner or an infringement defendant, we understand that clients want specialized advice that is focused on the best possible outcome for their circumstances and business objectives. We counsel clients regarding the different strategic options that they may have, which often make litigation unnecessary. We work to resolve these disputes efficiently and cost-effectively.

Copyright Assignments and Licensing

Licenses and assignments are both ways of granting rights in intellectual property to a third party, but the two alternatives are quite a bit different, and it is important that a person or organization transferring intellectual property rights understand the difference and the ramifications of each. It is equally important that a party seeking to purchase intellectual property rights enters into the type of agreement that will allow the intended use on the intended terms.

One of the primary benefits of copyright ownership is the ability to transfer some or all of those rights to third parties. These transfers can be for all of the copyright rights in a work (an assignment), or can be for a limited portion of the rights provided by the Copyright Act (a copyright license). Unlike a copyright assignment, a copyright license does not have to be in a signed writing. A license can be oral or arise by implication when considering all of the facts and circumstances surrounding the transaction between the copyright owner and the purported licensee. If you own a copyright in a work that you are thinking about assigning, you should consider whether to license your copyright instead, thus allowing you to retain ownership, and license only certain rights to the other party.

The decision as to whether to license or assign your rights as the holder of intellectual property rights or to pursue a license or assignment as a purchaser, can be a complex one. A miscalculation could mean serious complications and costs. Protect yourself before you start by getting knowledgeable guidance from our experienced team at Azer who can ensure that your agreement protects your interests.

For additional information about our Copyright Assignments and Licensing services, please contact us.

Copyright Litigation

Copyright litigation is a business reality. You can secure your business from copyright infringement with Azer Corporate. In close collaboration with you, our specialized team handles proceedings concerning patent, trademark and copyright matters before courts around the globe.

As a true interactive partner, we will support you in matters involving slogans, domain names, trade libel, reputation management and false advertising. We will manage contract, license and ownership disputes, including those regarding design rights in consumer products. Our team will enforce your rights in matters regarding circumvention of encryption and copyright infringement, unfair competition, passing off false advertising, Anti Cybersquatting Consumer Protection Act and patent litigation. From temporary restraining orders and preliminary injunctions to litigation and negotiated settlements, we employ the most effective means to achieve your specific objectives.

For additional information about our Copyright Litigation services, please contact us.