Copyright Law in Vancouver, WA

Vancouver has a long-standing history of unwavering support for its local companies. In fact, the mayor even declared May 2022 as “Small Business Month” in the city.

Knowing you founded your enterprise in a business-friendly environment is tremendous peace of mind. But, as you approach other aspects of growth, trademarks and copyrights start to take center stage. Whether you want to apply for intellectual property for the first time or the thousandth, you need to consider the details below.

What Is Copyright Registration?

Copyright registration offers the author of a piece of work in Vancouver, Washington 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 Vancouver, WA 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 Vancouver, WA business people and brand owners often trademark:

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

Registering trademarks for a Vancouver-based business goes through the Washington Secretary of State. You will have to include a sample of the mark in use as part of the application. Acceptable submissions to the government are specimens that do the following:

• High-quality photos

• Display the trademark as described

• Correlate with the selected classification numbers

• Illustrate the use in business operations

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

The U.S. Copyright Office recognizes that the timing for a copyright can be critical for applicants. Accordingly, they keep careful track of their performance and report the data. The most recent data comes from October 2021 to March 2022. During that period, 75% of the online claims they processed only needed 1.1 months to complete. Regardless, this timeline can expand when you must address conflicts with a registration specialist.

Trademark applicants from Vancouver can anticipate lengthy procedures with the USPTO. Different processes must happen based on your filing basis, which affects the timeline. Overall, the data from Q2 2022 shows an average pendency of 13.5 months.

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

The value of your Vancouver, WA 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 Vancouver, Washington 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 Vancouver, WA 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 Vancouver, WA. 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 Vancouver copyright attorneys  that can guide you through every step? We can even help you connect with an attorney across Washington 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!