Services

Business & Entertainment Law

Attorney Lafayette Colorado provides you an opportunity to have an attorney represent your interests in every stage of your business.  This includes transactional business documents, business litigation, entertainment law, and copyright & trademark services.  Attorney Lafayette Colorado's lead attorney specializes in business contracts, business formations, asset purchases, acquisitions, entertainment contracts, and intellectual property issues, including licensing protection of copyrights, trademarks, patents and trade secrets.

Business:

Attorney Lafayette Colorado provides legal advice during all phases of your business, including business formation, licensing agreements, contracts, buy/sell agreements, or an acquisition of your business. You will gain the peace of mind knowing your contract or business deal is managed by a world-class attorney.  

  • Business Formation: Form the right business entity for your business and your goals.

  • Buy/Sell Agreement: Get the right terms to complete an acquisition or sale of your business.

  • Asset Purchase Agreement: Avoid costly litigation from poorly drafted asset purchase agreement.

  • Contracts: Draft clear contracts that protect your rights.

  • Collections: Collect the debt that is owed to your business.

  • Commercial Real Estate: Commercial lease drafting, negotiation and evictions.

Litigation:  

Attorney Lafayette Colorado has a history of successfully advising small and mid-sized  businesses through commercial litigation. Attorney Lafayette Colorado represents local businesses in disputes here in Colorado, and in jurisdictions around the United States. Our firm is prepared to pursue claims in any jurisdiction your lawsuit is filed.

Litigation and Litigation Alternatives

Attorney Lafayette Colorado is a result driven commercial litigation firm.  We prosecute and also defend businesses in commercial litigation matters.  Attorney Lafayette Colorado understands that any commercial litigation can threaten the existence or continuation of a business.  Commercial litigation costs can be on the forefront of any business watching the bottom line, but in some cases, it is an expense that is necessary for continued operations and survival and even success. At Attorney Lafayette Colorado, we strive to provide exceptional legal services in a cost effective approach. When there is threat of a lawsuit, Attorney Lafayette Colorado, can be called upon to help contain the dispute in an attempt to avoid litigation. If litigation is required, Attorney Lafayette Colorado will vigorously pursue your interests while seeking to minimize cost and expense through early resolution and alternative dispute resolution. If the matter does goes to trial, Attorney Lafayette Colorado, is the fighting advocate you want on your side.

  • Partner Disputes

  • Breach of Contract

  • Employee Issues

  • Trade Secret and/or Intellectual Property Misappropriation

  • Minority Shareholder Law Suit

Whether you need to defend a lawsuit, collect on debts or accounts receivable, or recover a stolen business opportunity, Attorney Lafayette Colorado offers advanced strategies and personalized care to serve your business litigation needs. As experienced small business counsel and trial attorneys, our expertise in litigation can give you the upper hand.

Entertainment:

  • Entertainment and Commercial Media Contracts.

  • Representation of Entertainment and Media Clients Relating to Rights Clearance.

  • Negotiate and Prepare Media Licenses, Film Rights, Publishing, Movie, Video and Other Contracts.

  • Defending/Enforcing Rights of Publicity and Privacy.

  • Negotiate, Prepare and Review Non-disclosure Agreements.

  • Employment Agreements and Work for Hire Agreements.

Copyright & Trademarks

Importance of Copyright Registration

There are many reasons why it is important to register the copyright in a video[1] or a collection of videos. First, registration helps limit the likelihood that a copyrighted work is “innocently” infringed by someone else. Registration provides constructive notice of copyrights to others. Second, if someone does infringe your work, registration is required prior to bringing an infringement lawsuit.[2] Registration is required in order to collect up to $150,000 of statutory damages plus attorneys’ fees.[3] In short, copyright registration is important if one wishes to protect their valued works. Attorney Lafayette Colorado recommends that you register all your important works. 

Attorney Lafayette Colorado offers a number of resources to clients who wish to license their work products via licensed distribution channels.  Attorney Lafayette Colorado work ranges from documentary films to computer software to trademark licenses.  In regards to media, a license allows a producer (the intellectual property rights holder also called the licensor) to sell their media by charging a user (the licensee) for the permission to use their work. Licenses protect the proprietary rights the producer has in his content and gives legal security to the buyer/licensee. Attorney Lafayette Colorado offers a collection of standard business licenses, releases, and agreements to help clients begin the negotiation step. For further inquiries please contact council at 206 745 3738 or eric@attorneylafayettecolorado.com.

Copyright Services:

  • Copyright Counseling, Registration and Protection

  • Work-For-Hire Agreements

  • Ownership and Use Issues

  • Internet Copyright Issues

  • Non-Infringement Opinions

  • Copyright Contract Negotiation (Music, Movies, Entertainment, etc.)

  • Copyright Strategies for Media Companies

  • Filing and Prosecution of Copyright Applications

  • Protection and Enforcement of Copyrights

Trademark Services:

  • Domestic and International Trademark Counseling and Registration.

  • Selection, Use, and Enforcement of Trademarks

  • Trademark Searching, Opinions and Risk Analysis

  • International Trademark Applications, Management and Strategy

  • Filing and Prosecution of Federal, State and International Trademark Registrations

  • Management and Maintenance of Trademark Applications, Registrations, Renewals and Licenses Worldwide

  • Prosecuting and Defending Oppositions, Cancellations and Appeals Before the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board

[1] The federal copyright statute uses the term “work” to describe copyrightable material. Videos are included under “works”. According to 17 U.S.C. § 101, a “work” is created when it is fixed in a copy or phonorecord for the first time; where a work is prepared over a period of time, the portion of it that has been fixed at any particular time constitutes the work as of that time, and where the work has been prepared in different versions, each version constitutes a separate work. 

[2] 17 U.S.C. § 411; See also, U.S. Copyright Office, Copyright Basics, Circular Title 1 (2011). 

[3] 17 U.S.C. § 412; 17 U.S.C. § 505; 17 U.S.C. § 504(c)(2). See U.S. Copyright Office, Copyright Registration for Works of the Visual Arts, Circular Title 40 (2010), “To collect attorneys’ fees or statutory damages, registration has to be done before the infringement occurs or within three months of publication. If infringement occurs after the three month window but before applicant has submitted a registration deposit, the applicant can still register copyrights and file suit, but they will not be eligible to ask for statutory damages and attorneys’ fees.” Id. See Addendum C for further discussion of when attorneys’ fees are awardable without proper copyright registration.