A new, easier and more affordable copyright "people's court" that would allow copyright owners to seek damages and other relief from infringers is a concept currently being considered by the U.S. Copyright Office.
Since 2006, PPA has been advocating for an alternative dispute resolution system like this in an effort to help photographers better defend their copyrights. We have recently submitted comments to the U.S. Copyright Office, highlighting the benefits of such a system over the existing federal court process...which requires federal registration of an image, a lengthy trial in the federal courts, and the possibility of a copyright owner walking away with only a meager amount of damages.
Read the full article here.
Since 2006, PPA has been advocating for an alternative dispute resolution system like this in an effort to help photographers better defend their copyrights. We have recently submitted comments to the U.S. Copyright Office, highlighting the benefits of such a system over the existing federal court process...which requires federal registration of an image, a lengthy trial in the federal courts, and the possibility of a copyright owner walking away with only a meager amount of damages.
Read the full article here.
Why would you want to cap damages?
An ad campaign can cost thousands of dollars and to cap the damages I can collect "like small claims court", doesn't make sense to me. Copyright is a federal court matter and damages increase if you prove that you own copyright. For the registration fee of $35 it doesn't seem that burdensome a task to hire a lawyer to follow up with it.
The alternative
Hire a lawyer to represent me for small claims copyright court and get a smaller amount (I can continue working at the time), OR represent myself and not get billable hours or new jobs.
Just because you get judgement in your favor doesn't mean its instant compensation. That's why lawyers can be a helpful professional.