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Copyright: Legal action to protect a copyright

If your copyright has been infringed, you may sue the infringer in federal court, seeking an injunction against future violations of your rights. Furthermore, you may recover actual damages, which are your losses plus the infringer's profits from use of the copyrighted work.

Any time before a court issues a final judgment, you can elect to receive a set amount in damages as defined in the copyright statute, in lieu of actual damages. The amount of statutory damages can range from $200 to $150,000, based on a court's determination of several factors, including whether the infringement was intentional.

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