Copyright Law in Alaska

It’s not uncommon for someone to infringe upon the intellectual property of another. This could be unintentional, or deliberate, but either way could bring monetary damage if someone is illegally using your property. To protect yourself, and your work, you may want to seek the expertise of an experienced copyright attorney in Alaska.

What Is Copyright Registration?

Copyright registration offers the author of a piece of work in Alaska some protection from those who attempt to steal their idea.

A novel creation receives copyright protection when it becomes fixed into a tangible form. Copyright law dictates how to establish this ownership. Additionally, it explains how to register intellectual property or defend against infringement.

Copyright registration is a type of public record for ownership. Technically, a piece of work doesn’t require copyright registration for protection under the US copyright law. However, you should register your product in Alaska with the help of a copyright lawyer. This can offer you several unique advantages. By doing this you can:

• Protect your work against the importation of copies that infringe the registration. Your registration will be recorded with the United States Customs and Border Protection.
• If your work is already registered in the United States, you can proceed with an infringement lawsuit; otherwise, you will have to register it first.
• The IP owner can seek damages and attorney fees if a copyright registration happens within three months of publication (or prior to an infringement claim).
• If a copyrighted work is registered outside of the three-month time frame, you may seek actual damages that you lost.
• Copyright registration will identify each public record of its existence. This action puts the copyright protection into public notice for the piece of work that you’ve created and/or own.

What Is a Trademark?

A trademark is a word, symbol, design, or phrase that distinguishes you from another company. Service marks are a type of trademark that a company will use when providing services to the public.Technically, trademarks are a form of intellectual property. It also forms part of the company’s brand, even if they no longer use it.

Here are some of the components that business people and brand owners often trademark:

• Logos
• Symbols
• Product packages
• Name of the business
• Name of the product or service
• Designs

A breakdown of the registration process for copyrights in Alaska is provided by the Alaska Department of Commerce, Community, and Economic Development. Any word, design, logo, or combination thereof can be registered in the state. There is also a $50 filing and application fee that accompanies each class of good or service being registered.

How Long Does It Take to Register a Trademark and Copyright?

Alaska Statutes declare that when you are attempting to protect your intellectual property through a trademark or copyright, you’ll need to:

• Submit the application

• Pay the filing fee

• Provide and submit 3 examples of the use of the trademark in concurrence with the good or service

The Alaska Department of Administration asks all those filing for copyrights in the state to be patient, as the review process takes time. Trademarks are valid in Alaska for a period of 5 years before they need to be renewed. If you are facing someone infringing upon your rights regarding trademarked or copyrighted materials, you may want to seek the counsel of an experienced attorney in Alaska.

What’s the Difference Between a Trademark and a Copyright?

The value of your Alaska business depends on the assets it owns. It’s important to note that the most valuable assets are not always physical or financial. Your intellectual property counts as assets too. Because of this, if people use those assets without your permission, you can and should file a lawsuit against them for infringement under copyright law.

While trademarks and copyrights protect intellectual property, they cover two different aspects. Copyright registration protects artistic and literary works, such as videos and books. On the other hand, a trademark registration protects brand components. This could be a jingle, a logo, or a mascot of your organization.

Take, for example, if you own a magazine publishing company. You would trademark the logo and the name of your company. However, you would also place copyright protection on all of the magazines that you have published.

Work With an Experienced Alaska Copyright Lawyer

Do you have an idea that needs protection under intellectual property law? If so, complete the registration process as soon as possible. There is always the risk that someone else might beat you to it. This eventuality can create complications when the time comes to defend IP rights claims.

Alaska copyright lawyers can help you uncover if anyone else has registered a similar idea. If your concept closely resembles another, it might get rejected. Consequently, it is better to find this early than to go through the process only to get denied later. In addition, an intellectual property lawyer will help you to draft critical documents. Or, they can help determine the value of the intellectual property that you own.

An intellectual property lawyer also assesses the quality of the assets. They will look at the number of assets licensed under your name or your business in Alaska. This evaluation can help to maximize the entire value of all intangible assets that your company has.

Are you ready to tap into our network of Alaska copyright attorneys that can guide you through every step? We can even help you connect with an attorney across Alaska state lines.

Submit a request online or call us today at (866) 345-6784 to get in touch with an experienced lawyer in your area!