L.A. TECH & MEDIA LAW FIRM – Intellectual Property & Technology Attorneys
Copyright Attorney in Los Angeles: Protecting Originality in the Digital Age
Strategic Registration, Licensing, and Infringement Defense for Creators and Tech Innovators
In today’s digital-first economy, your competitive advantage is often tied to your “original works of authorship.” From proprietary software algorithms and marketing copy to cinematic motion pictures and musical scores, copyright law is the primary shield for your intellectual property.
At L.A. Tech & Media Law Firm, we represent the pioneers of the digital era: publishers, software programmers, content creators, and filmmakers. We don’t just register copyrights; we build legal frameworks that turn creative assets into protected revenue streams.
What Does Copyright Law Protect?
Copyright is a Constitutional right designed to promote the progress of science and the arts. Under the 1976 Copyright Act, protection attaches the moment your work is “fixed in a tangible medium of expression.”
Categories of Protected Authorship:
Digital & Software: Computer programs, algorithms, and website architecture.
Literary & Corporate: Internal documents, marketing copy, books, and articles.
Visual & Graphic: Photography, pictorial works, architectural designs, and logos.
Media & Performance: Motion pictures, audiovisual works, and sound recordings.
Music & Drama: Musical compositions, accompanying lyrics, and dramatic works.
The Strategic Advantage of Federal Registration
While copyright protection exists the moment you create a work, registration with the U.S. Copyright Office is a prerequisite for enforcement and provides critical litigation leverage:
| Benefit | Statutory Protection | Unregistered Work |
| Right to Sue | Required to file an infringement lawsuit in federal court. | Cannot initiate federal litigation. |
| Statutory Damages | Up to $150,000 per infringement (willful). | Limited to “Actual Damages” (harder to prove). |
| Attorney’s Fees | Prevailing owners can recover legal costs. | Owner must pay all legal fees out of pocket. |
| Presumptive Notice | Public record prevents “innocent infringer” defenses. | No public record of ownership. |
Our Core Copyright Services
We guide Los Angeles innovators through the full lifecycle of intellectual property management, ensuring your “right to copy” remains exclusive.
Copyright Registration & Portfolio Management: Precision filings with the US Copyright Office to ensure maximum legal standing.
Work-for-Hire & Independent Contractor Agreements: Securing ownership when third parties create content for your company.
Licensing & Asset Transfer: Drafting exclusive and non-exclusive licenses to monetize your IP.
Infringement Analysis & “Fair Use” Consultation: Sophisticated legal opinions on potential violations and defensive strategies.
Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA): Navigating “Takedown Notices” and online safe harbor provisions.
Frequently Asked Questions
How is a copyright different from a trademark?
A Copyright protects original works of authorship (the “expression”), while a Trademark protects brand identifiers like names, slogans, and logos that distinguish the source of goods.
Can I copyright my website or domain name?
You can copyright the content of your website (text, photos, code), but you cannot copyright a domain name. Domain names are typically handled via Trademark law or ICANN’s dispute resolution.
When is my work protected?
Your work is legally protected the second it is “fixed” (written down, recorded, or saved to a drive). However, you cannot enforce these rights in court without a formal registration.
Do I need a written agreement for freelancers?
Yes. Under the “Statute of Frauds,” most copyright transfers must be in writing. Without a “Work-for-Hire” agreement, the freelancer may legally own the copyright to the work you paid them to create.
Copyright law protects original works that are expressed in a tangible form. Copyright subject matter applies to original works of authorship fixed in any tangible medium of expression, from which they can be perceived, reproduced, or otherwise communicated, either directly or with the aid of a machine or device. Works of authorship include the following categories:
(1) literary works (including software);
(2) musical works, including any accompanying words;
(3) dramatic works, including any accompanying music;
(4) pantomimes and choreographic works;
(5) pictorial, graphic, and sculptural works;
(6) motion pictures and other audiovisual works;
(7) sound recordings; and
(8) architectural works.
In today’s digital business environment, copyright protection applies to a variety of company assets from internal documents and marketing copy to algorithms and promotional videos. An expert copyright attorney in Los Angeles can provide consultation in the areas of copyright ownership, copyright protection, copyright registration in the US Copyright Office, service agreements involving copyrightable assets, and copyright infringement analysis.
Consultation with an experienced copyright registration lawyer can prove essential to today’s digital businesses in Los Angeles and worldwide.
Quite literally dealing with the “right to copy”, copyright law is Constitutional right codified into law in the 1976 Copyright Act.
Copyright law is designed to promote the progress of arts and sciences by vesting exclusively in the copyright owner certain exploitation rights to original writings and discoveries, including the right to:
Reproduce (copy) the work into copies and phonorecords,
Create derivative works of the original work,
Distribute copies and phonorecords of the work to the public by sale, lease, or rental,
perform the work publicly (if the work is a literary, musical, dramatic, choreographic, pantomime, motion picture, or other audiovisual work),
Display the work publicly (if the work is a literary, musical, dramatic, choreographic, pantomime, pictorial, graphic, sculptural, motion picture, or other audiovisual work),
Perform a sound recording by means of digital audio.
L.A. TECH & MEDIA LAW FIRM represents publishers, authors, photographers, musicians, filmmakers, programmers, content creators and other innovators through the myriad of copyright and intellectual property laws that grant protection original works.
- Trademark and Copyright Protection
- Corporate Law & Entity Formation
- Cofounder Agreements
- Confidential Proprietary Rights
- Startup Funding Strategy
- Intellectual Property (IP) Protection
- Competitive Barrier Strategy
- Pitch Deck and Lean Startup Consultation
- Software Licensing Agreements
- Patent Protection
- Corporate Governance
- Contract Negotiation
- Digital Publishing Agreements
- Mergers and Acquisitions
- Business Litigation
FEATURED IN
