Copyright Attorney

February 3, 2010
Copyright ©

How a copyright attorney can help when web copyright infringement takes place

It may have happened to you already. All of the sudden you experience a website ranking drop at Google and the visitor numbers start to dwindle. You do a bit of research and find out that many of your website pages have been copied in part of wholly by other sites. Even though you can lodge a complaint at Google, chances are that not much would happen.

The best advice is to speak to a copyright attorney before taking any further steps.

The copyright attorney will follow the correct procedure for getting the perpetrators to delete the information from their websites, pay royalty to you or setup an agreement. The copyright attorney will also help to create a list of evidence showing that someone has copied from your website and where required will take further steps.

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Copyrights

January 4, 2010
Copyright ©

It seems that daily we discover new ways of ‘publishing’ ourselves. Long gone are then days when published books and the stage were the only places to express ideas and stories.

But with such an expansion of media opportunities and greater accessibility, copyrights are certainly also more exposed to infringement, even if it is unintentional.

So how do you know what is protected by copyrights?

In most countries, it isn’t necessary to formally go register a piece of work to enjoy copyright protection. Any original work made by a qualified person is eligible for this protection.

This means that all pieces of work created through the application of the author’s own creativity and labour are protected by copyrights.

If you suspect the integrity of your work is being compromised, you can consult a legal representative at Smit & Van Wyk Incorporated.

We are leaders in all legal matters concerning intellectual property in South Africa, including issues revolving around various types of copyrights.

Contact Details for Smit & Van Wyk:

Tel:
+27 (0) 12 349 7800

Fax:
+27 (0) 86 619 0493

E-mail:
enquiries@svw.co.za

Physical Address / Courier:
Block A Apex Corporate Park
Quintin Brand Street
Persequor Technopark
Meiring Naudé Avenue
Pretoria
0184
South Africa

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Copyright Attorneys

November 23, 2009
Attorneys, Copyright ©

Copyright attorneys are often asked to represent clients when there is a dispute as to who is the author of a certain work and thus holds the copyright.

The South African legislation considers the following as authors:

• Literary, musical or artistic works – the person who first makes or creates the work
• Photographs – the person responsible for the composition of the photograph
• Sound recordings – the person who made arrangements for the making of the recording
• Films – the person who made arrangements for the making of the film
• Broadcasts – the first broadcaster
• Published editions – the publisher of the edition
• Programme-carrying signals – the first person emitting the signal to a satellite
• Computer programs – the person who exercised control over the making of the program

If you are looking for expert copyright attorneys to help you protect your rights and work, don’t hesitate to contact Smit & Van Wyk Incorporated.

Contact details for Smit & Van Wyk:

Tel:
+27 (0) 12 349 7800

Fax:
+27 (0) 86 619 0493

E-mail:
enquiries@svw.co.za

Physical Address / Courier:
Block A Apex Corporate Park
Quintin Brand Street
Persequor Technopark
Meiring Naudé Avenue
Pretoria
0184
South Africa

Articles about Copyright Registration:

Copyright Registrations

Register a Copyright

Copyright Attorneys

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Copyright Attorney

November 20, 2009
Attorneys, Copyright ©

While it is generally accepted that the author of a specific piece of work is also the first owner of the work and thus the person who holds the rights to that work, there are sometimes disputes that claim this not to be the case.

In such an instance it would be best to consult a copyright attorney as to what the best action would be.

There are some accepted exceptions to the author being the owner of the work. These include:

• Literary or artistic works made by an author when employed by a newspaper, magazine or the like. In this case, authorship vests in the publisher. However, authorship vests in the author for the unused sections.
• If someone commissions and pays for the taking of a photograph, painting or drawing of a portrait
• If someone commissions and pays for the making of a film or sound recording
• If the work was created in the course of an author’s employment, the authorship vests in the employer

If the situation is still unclear, consult a copyright attorney from Smit & Van Wyk Incorporated for expert advice on the topic.

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Copyright Applications

November 20, 2009
Attorneys, Copyright ©

Unlike trademarks and patents, it is not necessary to formally complete copyright applications in order to protect work classified under this form of intellectual property.

A large number of countries globally operate under the Berne Convention regarding the copyright of work.

Rather than requiring copyright applications, it states that copyright for creative work is automatically in force at creation.

In other words, as soon as the qualifying work is written or recorded on some physical medium, its author is automatically entitled to copyright in the work, and to any derivative works, including its publication, distribution and adaptation.

Because of the lack of formal copyright applications, disputed do arise, and for this purpose it is in the best interest of the parties involved to rely on the expertise of legal representatives in the field of intellectual property.

Smit & Van Wyk is a leader in this field and have the necessary knowledge, skill and resources to successfully navigate through this process.

Contact Details for Smit & Van Wyk:

Tel:
+27 (0) 12 349 7800

Fax:
+27 (0) 86 619 0493

E-mail:
enquiries@svw.co.za

Physical Address / Courier:
Block A Apex Corporate Park
Quintin Brand Street
Persequor Technopark
Meiring Naudé Avenue
Pretoria
0184
South Africa

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