U.S. Copyright Attorney | Registration and Protection
Your book, your course, your photographs, your music, the words on your website. You made them, and the law says they are yours from the moment you create them. But owning a copyright and being able to enforce one are two very different things, and the gap between them is where most creators lose money. I help creators and business owners across the United States register their work with the Copyright Office and take action when someone uses it without permission. Copyright is federal, so I can help you no matter which state you call home.
What Copyright Protects
Books, manuscripts, and written publications
Online courses, curricula, and training materials
Music, lyrics, and sound recordings
Artwork, illustrations, and photography
Video, film, and podcast episodes
Website copy, blog posts, and email marketing content
Software and source code
What copyright does not protect: business names, logos, slogans, ideas, methods, or facts. Names and logos are trademark territory. If you are unsure which one you need, that is exactly the conversation I like having, and it is free.
Why Registration Matters
Your copyright exists automatically. Registration is what gives it teeth.
You generally cannot file an infringement lawsuit for a U.S. work until the Copyright Office has acted on your application
Registering before infringement, or within three months of publication, unlocks statutory damages and attorney fees
Registered works settle faster and at materially higher values, because the other side knows what it is facing
Registration creates a public record of your ownership and the date it began
That three month window is the part I wish more people knew about. Once it closes, it does not reopen.
How I Can Help
Copyright Registration. I prepare and file your application, select the correct application type, identify authorship correctly, and handle correspondence with the Copyright Office.
Group and Bulk Registrations. If you publish regularly, photograph in volume, or release episodes on a schedule, there are efficient ways to register in batches rather than one at a time.
Ownership and Work for Hire Review. If contractors created your logo, site copy, photography, or code, you may not own it. I review what you have and fix the chain of title.
Licensing and Assignment Agreements. Clear terms for licensing your work to others, or acquiring rights in work created for you.
Enforcement. DMCA takedown notices, cease and desist letters, negotiated resolutions, and litigation strategy when someone uses your work without permission.
Affordable Flat Fees
Attorney fees are affordable flat fees quoted in writing before any work begins, set for working creators and small businesses. Copyright Office fees are separate and passed through at cost.
Single-work registration: low flat attorney fee plus the Copyright Office filing fee.
Group or multi-author registration: flat attorney fee plus the Copyright Office filing fee.
DMCA takedown or cease and desist: flat fee quoted in writing.
Copyright assignment or license, drafted: flat fee, plus any recordation fee at cost.
Copyright assignment or license, reviewed: flat fee.
A small one-time engagement retainer is credited toward the total. Payment plans of 3, 6, 9, or 12 months are available, and the consultation is free.
Common Questions About Copyright
Do I actually own my copyright if I never registered it?
Yes. Under U.S. law your copyright exists the moment your work is fixed in a tangible form, whether that is a saved document, a recorded track, or a photograph on a memory card. Registration is not what creates the right. Registration is what lets you enforce it, and that distinction is where most creators get hurt.
What happens if I do not register my copyright?
You keep ownership, but you lose your two most powerful remedies. For U.S. works you cannot file an infringement lawsuit until the Copyright Office has acted on your application. And if you register only after someone has infringed, you are generally limited to proving your actual losses. Registering early preserves options that cannot be recovered later.
When should I register to get the strongest protection?
Before any infringement occurs, or within three months of first publication. Meeting that window is what makes statutory damages and attorney fees available, and it changes the entire economics of enforcement. With it, a demand letter carries real weight.
Does mailing a copy to myself protect my work?
No. This is often called a poor man's copyright, and it has no legal effect whatsoever. A postmarked envelope is not a substitute for registration, it does not create rights you do not already have, and it will not let you into federal court.
Should I copyright or trademark my business name?
Neither copyright nor a mailed envelope protects a name. Business names, logos, and slogans are trademark territory. Copyright covers creative works such as books, courses, music, artwork, photographs, and website content. Many businesses need both, protecting different assets.
Do I need both a trademark and a copyright?
Often yes, because they cover different things. A course creator might trademark the program name and register copyright in the actual course materials. I look at what you have built and tell you which assets are worth protecting and in what order.
Can I register a copyright myself?
You can. Where people get into trouble is choosing the wrong application type, misidentifying the author on work created by contractors, mishandling published versus unpublished status, or filing a group of works incorrectly. These errors can weaken or invalidate a registration.
Someone is using my content without permission. What can I do?
There is usually more leverage than people expect. Depending on the situation the path may be a DMCA takedown, a cease and desist letter, a licensing conversation, or litigation. The first question is always whether the work is registered, because that determines what remedies are on the table.
How much does copyright registration cost?
My attorney fee is flat, affordable, and quoted in writing before any work begins, whether you are registering a single work or a group of works. The Copyright Office charges its own modest filing fee, which is passed through at cost. You will know the full number before anything begins, and payment plans are available.
I hired a contractor to create something. Who owns it?
Very often the contractor, not you. Absent a written agreement transferring rights, the person who created the work generally owns the copyright even though you paid for it. This affects logos, website copy, photography, and code. It is fixable with the right assignment language.
Ready to protect what you created? The consultation is free, the fee is flat and quoted up front, and there is never any pressure. Book a free consultation.