Quincy, MA asked in Copyright for Massachusetts

Q: Forum Copyright infringement: Is this infringement?

If you copied someone else's work on a forum, and the author was using just a nickname, can he or she file Copyright infringement on you? Can he claim his work as his by just using a nickname all the time? example: his username is ohmygod. What if you copied a few of his posts. How much will this Copyright infringement cost if you found guilty? whats the legal fee for hiring a lawyer. Must of his work is just excerpts and redirect link if not all. Who should you consultant with first before hiring a lawyer? Whats fee? Most of his work is someone else's copyrighted materials, can he really get more than he expected by filing a lawsuit against me?

Related Topics:
1 Lawyer Answer
Mr. Michael O. Stevens
Mr. Michael O. Stevens
Answered
  • Intellectual Property Lawyer
  • Hillsboro, OR

A: Yes, you could be sued for copyright infringement for copying posts in a forum. It does not matter if they only use a nickname. This type of infringement is not criminal, so you would not be found guilty, just liable. Statutory damages are a minimum of $700 per infringement, plus you would be responsible for all of their costs and attorneys fees.

That said, if they want to sue, they have to register each work with the U.S. Copyright Office first. If they were only copying others, then they would likely be violating someone else's copyright and not technically be able to sue you (this assumes you can prove they were copying someone else's work).

1 user found this answer helpful

Justia Ask a Lawyer is a forum for consumers to get answers to basic legal questions. Any information sent through Justia Ask a Lawyer is not secure and is done so on a non-confidential basis only.

The use of this website to ask questions or receive answers does not create an attorney–client relationship between you and Justia, or between you and any attorney who receives your information or responds to your questions, nor is it intended to create such a relationship. Additionally, no responses on this forum constitute legal advice, which must be tailored to the specific circumstances of each case. You should not act upon information provided in Justia Ask a Lawyer without seeking professional counsel from an attorney admitted or authorized to practice in your jurisdiction. Justia assumes no responsibility to any person who relies on information contained on or received through this site and disclaims all liability in respect to such information.

Justia cannot guarantee that the information on this website (including any legal information provided by an attorney through this service) is accurate, complete, or up-to-date. While we intend to make every attempt to keep the information on this site current, the owners of and contributors to this site make no claims, promises or guarantees about the accuracy, completeness or adequacy of the information contained in or linked to from this site.