When creators and businesses in Michigan, Ohio, Kentucky, and Tennessee face unauthorized use of their original works, one of the first questions they ask is how long they have to take legal action. In the Sixth Circuit, the answer depends on a careful intersection of the copyright statute of limitations, proof of ownership, and compliance with copyright registration requirements. Understanding how the Sixth Circuit copyright statute of limitations ownership registration framework operates can mean the difference between a successful infringement claim and a case dismissed before it reaches the merits.
Easier said than done, but still worth knowing.
The Copyright Statute of Limitations in the Sixth Circuit
Under federal law, specifically 17 U.S.C. § 507(b), a civil copyright infringement action must be commenced within three years after the claim accrues And that's really what it comes down to. Which is the point..
Under 17 U.C. S.§ 507(b), the three-year limitations clock typically begins to run the moment an infringement occurs—a standard known as the "traditional accrual rule The details matter here. Nothing fancy..
