Copyrights and Condominiums
Should Community Associations be Worried?
[by Scott Eriksen, Esq.]
One of the greatest challenges
facing community association
professionals and board members
is the sheer variety of laws applicable
to association life. One particular blind
spot for many associations is the intersection of intellectual property ("IP")
laws and community associations.
While the interplay of IP law and community associations may sound like
an esoteric subject, it has the potential
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CONDOMEDIA January 2019
to present real challenges for community associations.
Consider this: How many communities have hosted a dance or movie night
in their clubhouse? How about a pool
party with music? If you have engaged
in any of these common activities, did
you ever think this may be infringing
upon copyright protections for which
the association could be penalized hundreds or thousands of dollars? Associa-
tions should be aware that unlicensed
displays or performances of protected
works (including music, movies, etc.)
may be in violation of federal law.
SURVEY SAID
In an effort to better understand
awareness of this subject, and to evaluate the impact it may have on community associations in the region, we
asked our clients five survey questions.