Practice Areas & Industries: Fredrikson & Byron, P.A.

Practice/Industry Group Overview

A copyright provides the author of an original work the rights to prohibit others from reproducing (copying), adapting (making a derivative work), distributing, performing, and displaying the work.

"We take a practical approach to serving corporate clients and developing an appropriate range of protection."

Copyrights Practice at Fredrikson & Byron

Fredrikson & Byron's copyright attorneys draw from broad legal and industry experience. Our backgrounds in the performing arts, computer arts, dance, film, advertising, and more give us a valuable perspective on this often subjective area of the law.

We're seeing rapid evolution in copyright law, especially where technology is concerned. The Internet in particular has raised the stakes for artists, technologists, and business people. We're heavily engaged in these changes and work hard to anticipate what the law may do in order to put clients in the best position to achieve their goals.

It's our philosophy to look beyond the copyright itself. Copyright issues commonly raise business issues; for example, a client may need to document their ownership or form a company to sell a work. Our presence within a vibrant multi-practice firm enables us to help clients navigate such matters, or to work seamlessly and cost-effectively with attorneys who have the ideal backgrounds.

Business Copyrights

We take a practical approach to serving corporate clients and developing an appropriate range of protection. We work hard to find ways to say "yes," often going beyond assessing infringement to look for ways clients can achieve objectives while avoiding infringement. Our business sense and our access to attorneys in the corporate and litigation realm enable us to assemble nimble, experienced teams that can help the companies we work with compete more aggressively.

Technology Copyrights

We do extensive work in the area of protecting the rights of clients involved in high-tech endeavors, from software development to Web publishing. An intimate familiarity with recent legislation and subsequent decisions regarding laws like the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) is more critical than ever in this area. We use creativity and foresight to anticipate potential issues and execute the transactions that will help high-tech clients fully exploit their work. We also advise and assist clients who need to police their assets.

Artistic Copyrights

Our conscientious work as advocates for artists takes many forms: it means paying attention to the needs and the goals of a client, respecting their work and their vision, negotiating meaningful leverage, and finding other creative ways to give them a leg up in their business. It's important to strike a balance in this area—to develop strong protections, but to avoid "over-lawyering." We've become adept at working with sometimes limited resources.