Copyright

Copyrights are confusing to many people, even the people that actually make money from them. Most people don’t realize that, under the current copyright law, they actually own a lot of copyrights, from their childhood drawings to their blog articles (not their cooking recipes though; they’ve been deemed a formula and therefore uncopyrightable).

What Is a Copyright?

A copyright is actually a bundle of rights that protect your ability to profit from your creative expression (books, movies, art, music, etc.). Under the copyright law, you have a copyright as soon as you have “an original work of authorship fixed in a tangible medium of expression.” In plain English, that means that as soon as you have created something original (and creative!), and put it in a format that other people can access (written down, typed up, dictated into a recording device, filmed, etc.), you immediately have a copyright.

Why You May Want or Need a Copyright Attorney

While copyrights are simple to get, they are much harder to protect and make profitable. A copyright attorney can help you

• Understand what rights you have in your work
• Know what steps to take to protect your work, and help you carry them out
• Assist in your efforts to make money from your work.

Kelley’s Services

Kelley helps her clients protect their copyrights so that they can get the most value from their creative efforts. Her goal is to have her clients leave with peace of mind and a solid plan for how to move forward on the path to artistic success. Her services include:

• Advice on copyright questions
• Review of pending or existing contracts
• Contract drafting
• Copyright registration

Kelley is well versed in literary law, and many of her copyright clients have been authors and publishers. In fact, Kelley’s very first client was the rights holder for the works of a New York Times bestselling author.