Copyright Counsel
You Own It the Moment You Create It. Registration Lets You Enforce It.
Copyright exists the moment you create, but registration gives you far stronger rights. We handle the filing and enforce your ownership when it is misused.
Creation Plus Registration
Without Registration, Your Rights Are Hard to Enforce
On Creation
Copyright exists the moment a work is fixed
To Sue
Registration is needed to enforce in court
Statutory Damages
Available only with timely registration
Sources: U.S. Copyright Act, 17 U.S.C.; U.S. Copyright Office.
Copyright attaches automatically when you create a work, but that bare right is hard to enforce. Registration with the Copyright Office is generally required to sue for infringement, and timely registration unlocks statutory damages and attorney fees. Registration is what turns ownership into real, enforceable power.
The Step That Turns Ownership Into Enforcement Power.
Copyright protects original creative work, writing, art, music, software, video, and more, and it exists automatically the moment the work is fixed in tangible form. You do not have to register to own it. But ownership and enforcement are two different things.
Registration with the U.S. Copyright Office is generally required before you can sue for infringement, and registering promptly unlocks powerful remedies: statutory damages and attorney fees that make enforcement practical. Without registration, your rights are real but hard to defend.
We handle copyright registration and protection, filing your works correctly and enforcing your ownership when someone copies, distributes, or profits from your creative work without permission.
Schedule a ConsultationWhere We Come In
- ✓ You create content, art, software, or media
- ✓ You want to be able to enforce your copyright
- ✓ Someone is copying or using your work
- ✓ You want access to statutory damages
- ✓ You license or sell your creative work
- ✓ You are not sure what you actually own
What We Handle
Copyright Matters We Handle
Registration that strengthens your rights, and enforcement when they are crossed.
Copyright Registration
File your works correctly with the Copyright Office.
Ownership & Authorship
Sort out who actually owns a given work.
Infringement Enforcement
Act when your work is copied or misused.
DMCA Takedowns
Remove infringing copies hosted online.
Work-for-Hire Issues
Clarify ownership of commissioned work.
Licensing Support
Set terms for others to use your work.
Why Creators Choose Us
We Register Right
Correct filings that hold up if you ever need to sue.
We Unlock Remedies
Timely registration opens statutory damages and fees.
We Enforce Ownership
We act when your work is copied or misused.
We Clarify Ownership
We sort out authorship, work-for-hire, and licenses.
What to Expect
How Working With Us Begins
1
Consultation
Tell us about your brand, your goals, and your risks. We assess your assets and where you are exposed.
2
Map the Strategy
We build a tailored protection and monetization plan, your roadmap for making IP work for the business.
3
File & Fortify
We register, draft, and put the protections in place, building a portfolio that holds up and stays useful.
4
Defend & Grow
We monitor, enforce, and license, turning protected IP into a durable, revenue-producing asset.
Attorney Insight
“The thing creators miss about copyright is the gap between owning and enforcing. Yes, you own your work the instant you create it, that part is automatic. But if someone steals it and you have not registered, you generally cannot even file suit, and you lose access to statutory damages and attorney fees that make a case worth bringing. Registration is cheap and straightforward, and it is the difference between a right you merely have and a right you can actually defend. I tell every creator the same thing: register the work that matters before you need to.”
Anthony I. Shin, Esq.
Founder, Shin Law Office
Common Questions
Answers Before You Call
Do I have to register to have a copyright?
No. Copyright exists automatically when you create a work and fix it in tangible form. But registration is generally required to enforce that copyright in court.
Why register if I already own it?
Because registration unlocks the ability to sue and, when done promptly, statutory damages and attorney fees. Without it, your rights are real but very hard to enforce practically.
What can be copyrighted?
Original works of authorship fixed in a tangible medium, such as writing, art, music, software, photographs, and video. We help you identify and register what matters.
What are statutory damages?
They are set damages available under the Copyright Act, without proving actual losses, but generally only if you registered before or soon after the infringement. They make enforcement practical.
How do I stop someone copying my work online?
Often through a DMCA takedown to the hosting platform, and litigation if needed. We handle takedowns and enforcement to get infringing copies removed.
Who owns work I paid someone to create?
Not automatically you. Without the right work-for-hire or assignment terms, the creator may own it. We make sure ownership of commissioned work is properly secured.
Register Your Work, Protect Your Rights
Copyright is automatic, but registration is what lets you enforce it. We file your works and defend your ownership. Schedule a consultation.
Prefer to talk now? Reach Anthony I. Shin, Esq. at 571-445-6565.
Based in Loudoun County and serving clients across Virginia, Washington DC, and Maryland, we know that when everything’s on the line, the right attorney doesn’t just make a difference, they determine the outcome.
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Copyright © 2025 Shin Law Office, PLC. All rights reserved.
Copyright © 2025 Shin Law Office, PLC. All rights reserved.
Reproduction of any content on this site is prohibited except for individual, non-commercial, informational use. This limited permission does not allow modification, distribution, or incorporation of any content into other works or publications in any medium. You may not reproduce or distribute content from this site to any third party.