Small-time copyright owners should not fear taking on large corporations in intellectual property disputes. Since the Copyright Act of 1976, all tangible works, such as books or recordings, receive a measure of legal protection in which the copyright owners have exclusive rights to the reproduction and distribution of copyrighted materials. For example, author and songwriter Melissa Pettignano is suing Apple, Amazon, Google, Barnes and Noble, Kobo and Sony for reproducing and distributing her copyrighted work through unauthorized means, according to Patently Apple.
Pettignano is a nationally recognized personality with appearances on The New Yorker TV Show and Bill O’Reily’s: What’s Happening Now. Her most recent book, Suzanne Lantana: A Collection of Short-Stories, Fiction, and Non-Fiction, was well received as inspirational piece of children’s literature.
When Pettignano applied for copyright registration of her books, she “licensed the rights to publish her book in print version only, but explicitly withheld the rights to publish her book, Suzanne Lantana, in electronic book (“e-book”) format,” according to the formal complaint. “Ms. Pettignano intentionally withheld that authorization in order to maintain maximum control over the medium through which she promotes her books.”
Despite the fact that “Pettignano has never authorized any entity to publish an e-book derivative of her work,” Apple, Amazon, Google, Barnes and Noble, Kobo and Sony are all selling e-book versions of Suzanne Lantana, according to the formal complaint. As such, said e-book distributors “have willfully committed copyright infringement directly, by inducement, or by way of contributory liability.”
I Am Looking For A Copyright Infringement Attorney In Los Angeles
If another organization is distributing your work or derivatives of your work through mediums unauthorized by the terms of your copyright registration, our Los Angeles copyright infringement attorneys can help. Our firm has over 25 years of experience aggressively defending victims of intellectual property litigation. We have the resources and expertise to guide you through the complicated legal process of defending your rights in a copyright dispute.
For more information about how we can assist with your particular case, contact us. To schedule a confidential consultation with one of our Los Angeles copyright infringement lawyers, call our firm today at [number].
[Did You Know: Apple owes $32.5 million in refunds for purchases made by kids without parental supervision, according to Time magazine.]
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