NEW SMALL CLAIMS COURT FOR COPYRIGHT INFRINGEMENT
In 2021 Congress passed a law creating a “small claims court” for copyright infringement. One of the challenges of enforcing copyright law is the cost of lawsuits. The new small claims court is designed to streamline and reduce the costs of enforcement of copyrights. The damages awarded are smaller than a copyright lawsuit in federal court through the normal process, but for many copyright holders, there is not an expectation of hundreds of thousands of dollars in damages when there is infringement. Many clients I have worked with consider copyright infringement a very personal matter. Artists work countless hours to create stories, pictures, drawings, paintings, sculptures, music and other art. To see someone sell or use copies of their art without permission devalues the contribution that they have made. I will be watching the development of cases to see how best to use the new procedures for intellectual property strategy. If you have copyrights that you believe should be protected, please give me a call and we can discuss the right strategy for you and your intellectual property.