Friday, April 11, 2014

Copyright infringement: Dealing with copyright violators


Copyright infringement is the act of violating works protected by the copyright law, which constitutes a person’s exclusive ownership in a particular work of art. When a copyrighted work is used without permission, the copyright owner may have the legal recourse to collect damages and receive share of any revenue generated from the infringed material.


Image Source: eaworldview.com


Copyright infringement lawsuits may involve an extremely expensive and lengthy process. Hence, it is crucial to hire an experienced copyright lawyer or a civil litigator to back one’s case. Having a lawyer may also help determine one’s chances of winning and decide whether the case is worth fighting for.

When dealing with copyright infringement, it is also important to have a good evaluation of one’s claim. Reviewing the elements of the Copyright Act, which defines the type of work that is infringed by the violator, ensures that the claim is valid before it reaches the court.


Image Source: theglobeandmail.com

In addition, one should also review whether the infringement meets a copyright exception. There are some laws, such as fair use, which allow the usage of copyrighted works for certain purposes in certain situations.

Most importantly, one has to determine the goal for instituting the lawsuit. Is it for money? Has it caused the owner damage? Does the owner want the infringer to stop using his or her materials? Asking these questions will help determine the potential success of the copyright infringement.


Image Source: injuryattorneyar.com






Evan Granowitz is an experienced litigator based in Los Angeles, Calif. Get more insights on copyright infringement and other civil cases by visiting this blog.

Friday, April 4, 2014

What is a class action?


You may have been in a situation of feeling hopeless in winning a court case due to how big you were up against. If this was the case and there were several others with claims similar to yours, your case would have made a dent if you were part of a class action.

Image Source: gigaom.com

Lawsuits might make you a bit uncomfortable or simply confused, and the most natural course of action is to ask someone who knows something about legal turns or Google about it. Class action is used in civil litigations to allow multiple parties to file a case based on the same legal grounds.

This type of litigation is normally applied when a person is going against big conglomerates or private entities which are assumed to employ the best legal services. A class action gives all claimants better chances of receiving compensation, and as part of this legal recourse, you can figure out the next steps legal procedures more easily than if you were doing it alone.


Image Source: injuryattorneyar.com


One of the biggest benefits of class action is the distribution of legal costs. Lawsuits are expensive and you simply wouldn't want to go through judicial hoops if your claim for damages is relatively small. If you are involved with a class, you can get a justified claim depending on the rule of the courts.

Another is that individual suits are done on a first-come, first-served basis. If you have several complainants ahead of you and their claims are much larger than yours, you might end up facing a bankrupt company by the time you get your turn. With class action, the damages are justifiably spread to all members.


Image Source: fastweb.com


You can try to fight alone at any given time, but if you can find other people to help your case, it will always be the best solution to take.

Evan Granowitz
is a versatile lawyer who specializes in class action and other types of civil litigation. Get to know more about the law by visiting this website.