Copyright and Intellectual Property

Your Rights as a Copyright Holder

Copyright holders are granted 5 exclusive rights:

• The right to reproduce the work - You can reproduce exact copies of the work. 
• The right to produce derivative works - gives you the right to produce new works based off the original. Think Spin-offs, sequels, translations, and other adaptations. 
• Distribution rights - you have the right to control how the work is transferred to others. This can be via sale, lending, lease, or renting. 
• Public Performance rights - gives you the right to determine how a work is publicly performed*. This includes anything that can be performed except for sound recordings. 
• Public Display rights - you have the right to control how a work is displayed in public - such as a photo or graphic design. 

*A performance is considered “public” when the work is: performed in a place open to the public, or performed at a place where a substantial number of persons outside of a normal circle of a family and its social acquaintances are gathered, or is transmitted to multiple locations. 

As a copyright holder, it is good practice to register and mark your work as copyrighted. This makes it easier in court to prove ownership. Having a work registered with the US Copyright office is a straight forward process. Go to Copyright.gov/registration/ and follow the prompts. 

For more information on registration fees please follow this link and choose the best option that fits your needs.