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Copyright Litigation

Many of our lawyers are recognized authorities in the field of copyright law.

Our Work

Our experience allows us to assist our copyright clients in a broad range of industries, including software development, music, theater, choreography, film, television, video game development, website development, Internet services, publishing, apparel, food, toys, consumer products, and advertising.

We provide counseling to copyright owners and users alike regarding the complex issues often involved in the protection or use of copyright-protected content. When disputes arise, we represent owners and users in the resolution of those disputes. In many instances, we are able to resolve disputes through negotiations. When settlement is not possible, however, we often file and defend our clients against lawsuits alleging copyright infringement and other related claims.

We also handle copyright disputes other than infringement claims, including royalty rate disputes. ArentFox Schiff is one of the very few firms with significant experience litigating copyright royalty rate disputes, including those before the Copyright Royalty Board and in federal court. In addition, ArentFox Schiff regularly represents clients in high-stakes, “bet the company” copyright litigation, including large class actions.

In the course of litigation, we often retain the services of experts in various fields such as economics, forensic computer software analysis, and musicology to ascertain the extent to which alleged rights in a particular work are original, the extent to which such original expressions have been copied or otherwise misused, or the damages flowing from the alleged infringement.