Copyright Law in Oklahoma City, OK

The Oklahoma Department of Commerce reports there are five Fortune 500 companies in the state. Companies like Oneok, Williams, and NGL Energy Partners often depend on intellectual property. Otherwise, businesses that copy their proprietary methods could steal their thunder.

Whether your company in Oklahoma City is unknown or established, your motivations are likely to be similar. Take five minutes from your busy day to assess those needs through the details in this article.

What Is Copyright Registration?

Copyright registration offers the author of a piece of work in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma some protection from those who try 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. A piece of work doesn’t require copyright registration for protection under the US copyright law. However, you should register your product in Oklahoma City, OK with the help of a copyright lawyer, as this can offer you several unique advantages:

• Protects 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 becomes 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 established Oklahoma City, OK business people and brand owners often trademark:

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

Oklahoma City businesses register their desired trademarks through the Oklahoma Secretary of State. But, the state government recommends looking at the current statutes before taking this action. The justification is that there are substantial complexities to take into account. If you do not feel comfortable with your level of knowledge, you should consider speaking to legal counsel.

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

Common problems and processing delays aside, the USPTO typically resolves its cases in a year. But, there are plenty of factors that can make this process go eighteen months or more. For instance, the government also admits it receives an unprecedented volume of applications. Moreover, the timelines required by law for your filing basis can have a considerable impact.

The U.S. Copyright Office provides some tips for how to avoid procedural delays. According to its staff, avoiding mistakes in your application and filing online is critical. Applicants from Oklahoma City that make minimal errors usually register their work in 3.6 months. But, in optimal cases, the waiting period can be as little as one month.

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

The value of your Oklahoma City, OK 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. Due to this, if people use those assets without your permission, you can file a lawsuit for infringement.

While trademarks and copyrights protect intellectual property, they cover two different aspects. Copyright registration protects artistic and literary works, such as videos and books. A trademark registration protects brand components. This can 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 the magazines that you have published.

Work With an Experienced Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 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.

An experienced Oklahoma City, OK copyright lawyer 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 determine the value of the intellectual property that you own.

An intellectual property lawyer also assesses the quality of the assets. They will also look at the number of assets licensed under your name or your business in Oklahoma City, OK. 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 Oklahoma City copyright attorneys  that can guide you through every step? We can even help you connect with an attorney across Oklahoma 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!