Damages You Can Recover After Copyright Infringement

copyright infringement

Copyright infringement is a crime in which a person utilizes a copy-written item without the owner’s permission. This could be music, a movie, a book, or any number of other copy-written material.

If you have discovered that someone has committed a crime of copyright infringement against you or your San Francisco business, then you may be trying to determine what type of recovery you deserve –  receiving the highest compensation possible.

A San Francisco intellectual property attorney like Attorney James M. Braden is an SF lawyer who can ensure that you receive the recovery that you deserve, so don’t try to go at it alone.

Monetary Damages

Sometimes, even with the assistance of the best San Francisco copyright infringement damages attorney, it can be nearly impossible to guess how many sales you could have made if your material was never infringed upon.

What are monetary damages? Monetary damages are more guaranteed compensation, but the specific amount you’re awarded will depend on several different factors.

  • The intent of the infringer – was the infringer innocent and did not realize that he needed to get permission to use a song, or was the criminal gaining access to your material and using it without your permission for his own profit?
  • The seriousness of the infringement – the more serious the infringement, the higher the monetary damages awarded will likely be.

The judge will make the determination, and you could get compensated as little as $750 and up to $30,000, depending on the specifics. You could even get compensated somewhat less or even more.

For this reason, as long as you have your business registered with the United States Copyright Office, you may receive monetary damages three months prior to the act of infringement.

Compensatory Damages

Also known as “actual damages,” you receive compensatory damages awarded in your case of copyright infringement.

As long as you can prove that you have lost money due to lack of sales, licensing revenue, etcetera and you can easily prove that the loss was a direct result of the infringement, then you could get awarded a certain amount of compensatory damages.

Infringer’s Profits

This is another type of possible compensation, and the damages that you might receive will be equal to the actual amount of money that the perpetrator may have earned by using your material without your permission.

For instance, if a criminal used a song that you wrote without permission and ended up earning $200,000, then you could possibly get compensated the full $200,000, or at least a portion of it.

There is no reason to receive less compensation than you feel you’re entitled to due to copyright infringement.

If someone has used your copy-written material without your permission, then you need to hire an experienced copyright infringement damages attorney in San Francisco.

Have a Copyright Infringement Attorney

It could be difficult to prove these types of damages, which is why your intellectual property lawyers in San Francisco can provide support and education in this area.

Your San Francisco copyright infringement attorney can also successfully represent you, ensuring that you receive every cent that you’re entitled to.

Attorney James Braden is a knowledgeable professional with a great deal of experience assisting clients with receiving full compensation in their cases. Call now and get compensated!