TECHNOLOGY LAW CORNER The Rocky Legal Landscape of Virtual Worlds, Part 3: Copyrights By Ross Dannenberg LinuxInsider 11/25/08 Have you created something that is uniquely your own? If the answer is yes, you probably own a copyright in that intellectual property — and that generally applies even if you created that work in a virtual […]
TECHNOLOGY LAW CORNER The Rocky Legal Landscape of Virtual Worlds, Part 3: Copyrights By Ross Dannenberg LinuxInsider 11/25/08 Have you created something that is uniquely your own? If the answer is yes, you probably own a copyright in that intellectual property — and that generally applies even if you created that work in a virtual world. Part 1 of this three-part series on intellectual property law in virtual worlds discusses trademark rights as applied to virtual goods. Part 2 addresses patent rights, including how patent rights can be obtained based on actions performed in virtual worlds whether patent rights are enforceable against virtual infringers. Part 3 delves into copyrights: how they can be obtained based on actions performed in virtual worlds how to protect your rights when your copyrights are infringed in virtual environments. Copyrights are perhaps the most common type of intellectual property (along with trademarks) are the first stop when it comes to protecting software-based products. This is because copyrights, which protect a particular expression of an idea, exist automatically upon fixation of an author's work in a tangible medium of expression. This means that a graphic designer's works are protected the instant they are drawn on paper or saved on a computer. A software programmer's works are protected the instant they are saved to disc…