Copyright Based Business

March 08, 2024

by an investor from University of California, San Diego in San Diego, CA, USA

I am considering a business that is largely based on ownership of a copyrighted material. All of my IP experience is with patents, and not copyrights.

Can anyone direct me to resources for understanding the business of copyrights? I know it is a deep field, so I really need an introduction.

Thanks in advance!

0 Likes

16 Replies

79 Views

Replies

Reply by a professional
from University of Illinois at Urbana in Naperville, IL, USA

Thanks for the tag, ^redacted‌. ^redacted‌, I am an experienced attorney with copyright expertise as well as expertise in other areas of intellectual property and business including patents, trademarks, and more. While both US patents and US trademarks are handled by the US Patent and Trademark Office, US copyrights are handled by the US Copyright Office. The US Copyright Office has a number of resources to help people become more familiar with copyrights. At a basic level, you may find the US Copyright Office's FAQs helpful at https://www.copyright.gov/help/faq/. You may also find US Copyright Office circulars at https://www.copyright.gov/circs/ (e.g., Copyright Basics) and the US Copyright Office Youtube channel at redacted@USCopyrightOffice helpful. Feel free to reach out if you have specific questions.

Reply by a professional
from American University in Irvine, CA, USA

Thank you for the tag, Luke. In conducting due diligence on a target company, if copyrights are material to the business being acquired or invested in, then it is important to conduct a strong due diligence on each of the copyright registrations and applications have been properly filed, and that upon acquisition (or investment), the target company will own all of the copyrights and interests that you expect it to own, and that you have been represented are owned. The same is true of trade and service marks, and of patents, and the due diligence must also confirm that all items claimed to be protected as trade secrets, have in fact been treated that way by the target. An IP lawyer skilled in corporate transactions can be very helpful to you in this process. If you would like any assistance, feel free to DM me any time.

+14 more replies.

Join the discussion