The Benefits of Copyright Registration

If patent is the king of intellectual property, copyright is the queen. Copyright is essentially free, immediate, and global. Copyright allows protection from copying, but also protection against infringing derivative works. Copyright has a significantly longer duration than patent, so that can guide certain decisions. How does an entrepreneur balance copyrights against patents in order to fully and economically protect the company jewels? Join our session to explore the role of virtually free copyrights in the world of relatively expensive patents. The session will contrast copyrights with patents and trademarks. We will touch on independent contractor and employee issues. We will discuss notice and registration. We will also discuss copyright enforcement strategies. All questions are welcome!

Christopher Lynch is a partner in Lee & Hayes and has many years of experience in intellectual property law. He has been an adjunct professor teaching intellectual property law at Gonzaga University School of Law for 25 years. Mr. Lynch has represented numerous clients in interesting litigated copyright matters, involving literary works, artistic works, musical works, architectural works, software and other areas. Some of his notable representations include defending an independent magazine accused by Mattel of infringing the copyright in the Mattel Barbie doll, and recently winning a $101,000 judgment for an individual who was falsely accused of bittorrent copyright infringement. Chris will bring his copyright bag of tricks ready for a fun and informative session.