Brian Russ Law, Inc. is resolved to guiding creatives and individuals obtain and monetize copyrightable works, and provide defense services for copyright infringement lawsuits. As an author, small business owner, and serial entrepreneur, attorney Brian feels the difficulties of business owners and individuals when they think about and try to understand copyright law. Brian works with businesses across California to address common issues like copyright registration, fair use analysis, licensing decisions, and more. If you need legal guidance in Hidden Valley Lake for copyright issues, then you’ve come to the right place.

What Is Copyright Infringement?

Unauthorized use of a copyrighted work without the owner's permission is considered copyright infringement. The act of reproducing, distributing, adapting, or publicly displaying a work without permission constitutes copyright infringement. As a result of copyright law, authors and creators are able to control how their work is used and distributed. 
The violation of a copyright can take many forms, including copying and distributing music, videos, and other media without permission, misappropriating someone else's work, and reproducing and selling a copy of a copyrighted work. Most copyright infringements are civil offenses, and the copyright owner may pursue monetary damages. Innocent copyright infringement is still infringement. The infringer's state of mind generally does not come into play for basic questions of whether the work was infringed. 
The copyright of others should be respected and permission sought before using their work. Exceptions to copyright law allow for limited use of copyrighted material without permission, such as fair use for criticism, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, or research. You should, however, only rely on fair use exceptions if you are certain your use falls within their scope. 

What Are Your First Three Steps When Sued for Copyright Infringement?

In the event that you are sued for copyright infringement, you should take the matter seriously and take the steps necessary to protect your rights. Take these three steps as a starting point: 
First, you need to retain an attorney. A copyright infringement lawsuit should be addressed as soon as possible by seeking legal advice. It is important to speak with a lawyer to understand your rights and options, and to determine what course of action is best for you. 
Second, make sure you review the legal complaint that has been served on you. Understand the specific allegations of copyright infringement in the complaint filed against you. By doing so, you can identify possible defenses and plan your response accordingly. 
Third, stop infringing activities if you are engaged in them. You can expose yourself to additional liability by continuing the infringement. As a result, if you continue to infringe after receiving notice that you are infringing, you will appear to be a bad-faith intentional actor. 

Brian Russ Law, Inc. is Ready to Help Hidden Valley Lake Businesses and Individuals with Copyright Law Matters

The conclusion is easy – call Brian Russ Law, Inc. today. We’re fielding inquiries from potential new copyright clients every day. Having an lawyer on your team can help you avoid costly mistakes and give you invaluable peace of mind.