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Step 1
Speak with an intellectual property lawyer before pursuing legal action. Intellectual property precedent at the state and federal level is often murky, requiring counsel with an eye for detail. Major law schools and the American Bar Association website provide information on intellectual property lawyers in your area (see Resources below).
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Step 2
Seek information about the importance of copyright protection from the U.S. Copyright Office (see Resources below). This federal office can provide information on federal copyright laws as well as help you learn the best way to protect your intellectual property.
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Step 3
Ask intellectual property and law experts at your local university about the penalties for copyright violation. Professors and academic experts are usually willing to impart their expertise to the public. There are also public seminars and lectures on the topic of intellectual property that can be informative.
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Step 4
Appreciate the tenuous character of the fair use doctrine in copyright law. Fair use of copyrighted material can include the use of quoted text in an academic paper or news story. The limits of fair use depend on a variety of factors, including the originality of the new work and the potential for financial harm to the copyright holder.
