Legal Question in Intellectual Property in Illinois
The Internet and the End of Copyrights
A man electronically reproduced my registered art, displayed it on his website without my permission, sold a CD Rom of them to a website broker who sold my art to other webmasters. One webmaster displays 18 of my artworks and will not take it off. My lawsuit against the first infringer has cost me more than $12,000 and the lawsuit has gone on for 3 years waiting for mediation. My art business is ruined and lawyer fees left me broke. What good is registered copyrights for intellectual property if they can not be upheld any better than this? Why can I not find someone to help me while my own lawyer does not seem to care?
1 Answer from Attorneys
Re: The Internet and the End of Copyrights
Your story is very unfortunate and it may be a question of the efficieny and dedication of your counsel, in whom you've expressed some dissatisfaction. On the other hand, federally registered copyrights are a good thing. They, among other things, allow you access to the federal court system, provide for reimbursement of attorneys' fees, and allow certain statutory damages.
Does your attorney concentrate his/her practice in entertainment/copyright/media/art law issues? You shouldn't be spending this much for legal fees and not getting some kind of result. As I mentioned earlier, this may be a question of the effectiveness of your counsel. If you'd like to discuss things further, I can be reached at on my cell at: 773.882.4912. I invite you to visit my website at: www.entertainmentlawchicago.com to learn more about me and my firm.
Best wishes,
Don Simon
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