Copyright Law

People create new works of art not in a vacuum but under the influence of all the artists and musicians that came before them. In the modern music industry and in the digital content world, sampling music has become a very common practice. One musician or their...

You have songs and artwork that you want to protect. Unfortunately, you know that others have already stolen your work and claimed it as their own. This kind of problem is frustrating for creators. Others may take your designs or music and sample them, earning money...

You scroll through social media, only to see another company advertising a product with a design that is strikingly similar to yours. Maybe you spot a t-shirt sporting a printed image that is almost identical to art released by your company. Although it's very close...

As a musician, you work hard to create the music that you produce. Finding out that someone has made a parody of your song might be funny, but at the same time, it may make you feel like you’re losing out on income from your music. Parodies have long been normal in...

Singers, musicians and songwriters can spend weeks producing a single song. They should receive a fair amount of compensation for their hard work and the value they add to society. However, most musical artists are getting underpaid due to three main reasons:...

As you establish your brand, you may want to copyright all of your materials. Before you begin filling out your copyright applications, you need to understand what kind of materials are eligible for copyright. The U.S. Copyright Office says that you can copyright a...

Copyright law protects you from people who want to use your work as their own. Aside from the emotional disappointment of knowing someone stole your work, the financial loss when someone takes credit for your ideas can disrupt your success. Knowing the purpose of...

Being an aspiring musician in the New York City area is definitely exciting. In the rap and hip-hop communities, sampling is a very common practice in songs. However, there is a question about whether sampling is actually infringement. Copyright laws are often strict....

Sometimes, another person can use your copyrighted work and not commit infringement. This happens when the situation falls under fair use. The U.S. Copyright Office explains fair use is a legal concept allowing the freedom to use copyrighted work without a license...

If you have a creative work, such as a song or a book, you will want to protect it. You do not want someone else to use your work as his or her own. Establishing ownership is incredibly important with such things to protect your interests. The best way to do that is...