Changes at Copyright Office & Effect on Registration

You may be aware that in the past week there has been a change of leadership at the Copyright Office as well as its parent agency, the Library of Congress. The situation appears fluid and RightsClick is monitoring events as they become clear. In general, we do not expect this to disrupt Copyright Office operations.Continue reading “Changes at Copyright Office & Effect on Registration”

Copyright Registration & AI Training

The search tool created by The Atlantic has revealed to the general public what professional creators have been fighting in court for some time now: the big AI companies have taken billions of copyrighted works without authors’ knowledge, permission, or payment. Every day, all types of creators discover that their works are in datasets usedContinue reading “Copyright Registration & AI Training”

Assistive AI Should Not Limit Protection Says Copyright Office

It would be an understatement to say that developments in artificial intelligence (AI) have sent shockwaves through the creative fields. From the perspective of copyright law, AI raises many issues, including the extent to which copyright applies to works made with AI. The Copyright Office initially responded by publishing a “guidance” document that many thinkContinue reading “Assistive AI Should Not Limit Protection Says Copyright Office”

Where Does Registration Fit in the Photographer’s Workflow?

“Make registration part of your workflow” is probably the most fundamental and important message we at RightsClick have for independent creators. This is especially true for the highest-volume creators – photographers. The most common questions we receive revolve around when in the workflow registration should occur.  This is both a practical question about efficiency andContinue reading “Where Does Registration Fit in the Photographer’s Workflow?”

Whose Work Is It?

Collaboration is great, but what are the copyright implications? In the last two weeks, we’ve had conversations with creative friends about the concept of work made for hire (WMFH) — and whether you’re a contributor to a project or the presumptive owner of a project, understanding this concept in copyright law is important. In particular,Continue reading “Whose Work Is It?”

Event Photography: Venues and Vendors as Copyright Vultures

RightsClick recently conncecte with photographer Vanessa Joy. In this video, she raises some important copyright issues related to event photography. Before discussing those issues, we strongly recommend that photographers retain all their copyright rights. Work made for hire (WMFH) agreements mean that the hiring party owns all the rights. These should be entered into withContinue reading “Event Photography: Venues and Vendors as Copyright Vultures”

When to Register a New Version of a Work

Ernest Hemingway famously said that “The only kind of writing is rewriting.” Whether creators agree with that rule, one question we hear frequently is, “When should I register a new version of my work?” Here are some basics to help you with that decision: You might know that copyright protection applies automatically the moment yourContinue reading “When to Register a New Version of a Work”

Foreign Authors Must Register in the U.S. for Full Protection

Are you a foreign author? Foreign to the United States, that is. We Americans can be like that sometimes. And unfortunately, our copyright law is the same. Like almost every copyright law in the world, the U.S. Copyright Act promises that protection arises automatically at the moment a work is created. And in the formalContinue reading “Foreign Authors Must Register in the U.S. for Full Protection”

Protecting Copyright Isn’t Always About Money

In 2013, The Beastie Boys filed suit against the girl-oriented, creative toy company GoldieBlox. Not for the money, but for the principle. GoldieBlox had created a derivative of the band’s song “Girls” and used the new version in a video promo. When the case settled months later, the agreement included an apology to the bandContinue reading “Protecting Copyright Isn’t Always About Money”