Havertown, PA asked in Copyright for Pennsylvania

Q: How do I create a non-exclusive license for my copyright? Do I need to report it to the copyright office?

An organization wants to use the curriculum I co-authored.

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2 Lawyer Answers
Marcos Garciaacosta
Marcos Garciaacosta
Answered
  • Intellectual Property Lawyer
  • Mesa, AZ

A: You should consider copyrighting your product. Your license is a private contract, unless you are transferring full ownership you should not have to register anything.

Consult with an attorney.

Robert Kost agrees with this answer

Robert Kost
PREMIUM
Robert Kost
Answered
  • Intellectual Property Lawyer
  • Pittsburgh, PA
  • Licensed in Pennsylvania

A: Think about registering your copyright on the curriculum with the Copyright Office. It provides a number of benefits:

* Statutory damages if your work is infringed

* Presumption of valid ownership.

* Import protection

* Creates a searchable public record (for others seeking to license from you)

* It is a pre-requisite to suit

You can, if you like, record the license agreement with the Copyright Office and here too, there are a number of benefits. These may be outweighed by the fact that what is recorded is available to the public.

Finally, a non-exclusive license can be created by a contract with the licensee. It's best to have a lawyer assist you with this.

Hope that helps.

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