Copyrights ensure that the creative expressions of individuals and enterprises are protected. As counsel to the creative and ingenious, the attorneys at Roylance Abrams work diligently to protect and leverage our clients' copyrights and defend against rights asserted by others.
Copyright protection extends to many fields of human endeavor including books, film, textile design, photographs, software programs, greeting cards, website pages, jewelry, wallpaper design, brochures, parts manuals, architectural works and songs. Our copyright attorneys are active in state, federal and international courts and have the depth of experience to address the range of copyright issues confronted by our clients.
Specific areas of expertise include:
- Litigating copyright cases, addressing a variety of issues including infringement, fair use, lack of originality, licensing authority and constitutionality
- Applying for U.S. copyright registration
- Obtaining expedited registrations
- Analyzing aspects of the Berne Convention
- Providing clearance review
- Pursuing protection under the Digital Millennium Copyright Act
- Lobbying Congress on copyright legislation
- Negotiating licensing agreements including character licensing and merchandising
- Evaluating co-authorship and artistic joint venture and collaboration agreements
- Drafting assignments and work-for-hire agreements
- Revising book publishing agreements
Located in the heart of Washington, D.C., we are a short distance from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, the U.S. Copyright Office, the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia and scores of other agencies and courts.