Copyright Penalty Tool
Protect your intellectual property. Estimate the statutory damages you could recover for the unauthorized use of your creative work.
Potential recovery for willful infringement.
Recovering from Infringement
I genuinely believe that creative professionals deserve to be paid for their work. When someone uses your copyrighted material without permission, the US Copyright Act provides a powerful remedy called **Statutory Damages**. These are predetermined amounts that the court can award you, even if you can't prove exactly how much money you lost.
Registration is Key: To be eligible for statutory damages and attorney's fees, you must have registered your work with the Copyright Office either before the infringement occurred or within three months of publication. If you didn't register, you are limited to "Actual Damages" (like your lost licensing fee), which is often much lower.
Damage Ranges (Per Work):
- Standard: $750 to $30,000 per work.
- Willful: Up to $150,000 if you can prove the infringer knew they were violating your copyright.
- Innocent: Can be as low as $200 if the infringer can prove they didn't know they were doing anything wrong.
Disclaimer: This calculator is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Statutory damages are awarded at the discretion of a judge or jury. Always consult with an intellectual property attorney for copyright claims.