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Software copyright statement A Software Copyright Statement Protects Current and Future Works If you have a site that is dedicated to the sharing and distribution of open source software it is a great idea to have a software copyright statement that explains the limits of use for your software as well as the limits of your responsibility for those uses. I also recommend getting an attorney to look over the statement before posting it just to be sure there are no legal issues that you may be unaware of. A software copyright statement doesn't have to be a 10 page booklet on the law or the protections that copyright offers, it should be a simple short paragraph stating the basics and hopefully covering your rear from litigation and/or responsibility should someone use the software you are allowing them to use for something insanely stupid or frighteningly criminal while establishing your ownership of the material and expectations of those you are allowing to use your creation. This for some is a no brainer because they've done it before and know the ropes. There are new software developers born and made each and every day and this type of software copyright statement may serve to save them a little grief of their own some day. If you are being kind enough to freely share the software you created with others, you'd like to think that they would at least return the favor of using it within the letter of the law or the manner in which it was intended. This, however, is rarely the case so protecting yourself, your copyright, and your future interests by posting a software copyright statement on your website is really the best way to go in a situation such as this. Trust me I'm not trying to talk anyone out of sharing his or her software with the world. I rather like open source software and admit to using it freely (no pun intended). I love saving money almost as much as I love playing around with new technology. Software allows me to do that and find likes and dislikes about all kinds of programs. Issuing a software copyright statement is one way of protecting your investment of time, effort, energy, and sheer brilliance in the making and design of your technological masterpiece. Hopefully that flattery will keep you going a bit longer at any rate. It is important to know that a software copyright statement is only part of the process required to protect your software but for the most part poses a significant deterrent to those that would abuse your copyright and/or your kindness in allowing the distribution of your software. Even if you are charging people for the use of your software (we are a nation of capitalists after all) you still need to protect the labor you have put into making not only the software but the distribution method, the website, the payment method and the thousands of other things that are part and parcel of the business model for your software distribution. Your software copyright statement is a very small protection for your software don't expect it to be the brunt of your protection. Most of the software developers, coders, and programmers (and any other name you wish to call them) that I know aren't as concerned nearly as much about associating their name with the products they create as they are with protecting future potential income from both the products they are currently designing and the future, improvements they will make to the software and the much improved finished product that comes later. By protecting all your work with a software copyright statement you are not only protecting current works but future works as well.

Copyright lawyer Everything You Need to Know about a Copyright Lawyer Everything you may need to know about a copyright lawyer before you get one, there are so many different types of lawyers a little run down never hurt anyone. Copyright lawyers deal with many different subjects such as internet law, intellectual property, patent and trademark and of course your copyright laws. Each lawyer has gone to school for some time in order to get a degree to help you, which means they know more about the law than you do. Some mistakes website owners make is when they buy articles online; many times a buyer just assumes they have full copyright. This isn’t always the case, depending what was agreed on will determine who has ownership. In order to make sure you don’t fall into this trap have a lawyer set up a contract before you hand over any money, this way you know for sure if you have full ownership or if the writer does. There are actually three different categories that you may purchase an article, usage, full and unique. A copyright lawyer will explain exactly what each one means. Usage is basically meaning the buyer gets to use the article one time, but the writer can use it again or resell it. Full rights will give the buyer all rights; they can even place their name on the article saying they wrote it. A copyright lawyer will never tell you that you don’t have to register your copyright; in fact they will encourage you to do it. Sure, they get money to do it for you but you will have documented proof that you own the copyright. If you don’t file it, you can’t sue if someone uses your information. A copyright lawyer is not cheap, that means if you are just looking to pay out a mere $300 you are looking in the wrong field. Sure there are sites that offer to do your bidding for you. Are you sure they are someone you trust? Stick with your gut feeling, pay the money and have someone there to walk you through everything you need. Most copyright lawyers will have special discounts on packages, which means you’ll be getting a lot more than what you originally walked in for. Chances are your lawyer will even advise you of things you didn’t even have knowledge about. A copyright lawyer can help you better understand the laws of the virtual world, as well as the real world. Every day someone new is getting sued over content on the internet, it can be as simple as someone stealing an article, quote, song or a picture. A big issue is using another company’s name in your tags to get the search engines to rank you higher, you will get caught and when you do the fines are pretty steep. Other issues may be with bloggers today, be careful with what you say about your places of business, not only could you get in trouble for any copyrighting issues but slander is another big issue. Another thing you may want to know about a copyright lawyer is that you can use one even if you are actually getting sued. Many people only look for one when they want to copyright something or sue someone, but they normally don’t think about hiring a copyright lawyer when they are being sued. This is definitely the person you want on the job defending you if the time comes, after all they do know their job. That’s everything you need to know about a copyright lawyer before you get one, if you have any other questions call them up and ask them. Lawyers love to give advice, especially if they think you’ll be hiring them.

Copyright lawyer guild What exactly is a copyright lawyer guild? A copyright lawyer guild is just like any other guild, it a is club just for copyright lawyers. Many times you can find a list of names of all the copyright lawyers that have joined, as well as all their contact info and if they have a website or not. Sometimes you will have to be invited to join, while others it is free for you to look around. However as a guest you may only be able to view certain information, once you pay though you’ll get to look at all the goodies the guild holds. There will most likely be a select amount of newsletters put out by the guild, the number depends on the guild itself and how many they want. In a way this is very much like a writer’s guild, you will have a list of every writer in a certain state and their information about them. Any client can find a copyright lawyer’s guild online, this is basically a site that lists all types of information about copyrights, cases, lawyers, releases and much more. A client may even find out if the their copyright lawyer has been acknowledged for any special awards in the at-a-guy section, not all have this but most will. There will probably be a lot of articles on copyright issues and might explain to you what it is you need. You can also find cases that are currently going on and others that have already been through trial, this is a great way to stay up to date with all the latest copyrighting issue. If you are lawyer it is great so you always know what is going on and what is being added to the laws that already exist. One may even find a forum inside an online copyright lawyer’s guild; this opens doors to both clients and lawyers. A lawyer may be able to find help in an area they aren’t 100% about and a client is able to ask for help without being charged. A copyright lawyer guild may also be a group that meets every couple of months at a restaurant, office or a number of different places to discuss things. Topics may include things they are dealing with, cases in the press or inside the office, or hot topics in the field. How to help a client that is upset, how to use etiquette in emails, etc. They may watch a short film on copyrights and how they effect the business. There may be a few seminars that they are invited too or asked to actually give speeches at, the topics are endless but will all reflect on their field of expertise. Guilds are a great way for a person to meet and greet others in their profession and share stories or experiences with one another. Not all copyright lawyer guild list every lawyer, only those that pay for membership are. Which means if your lawyer hasn’t paid his dues than he won’t be listed, however this doesn’t make him a bad lawyer. Your lawyer may just be starting up and hasn’t got around to joining a guild or if he’s been around for a while maybe he hasn’t had much luck in finding clients through guilds and would rather do it the way he’s been doing it.