Music Licensing Question — fanfiction and derivative works

Looking for advice on a legal issue. Here's what happened.

fanfiction and derivative works. I've been dealing with this for about 4 weeks now and the situation isn't improving.

This involves software/code I developed over the past 25 months. I do have documentation proving my ownership and timeline.

Do I have a strong case? What should my next steps be?

I specialize in this area of law. Here's my take on the legal issues.

There are several legal theories that could apply here. The strongest is probably the DMCA safe harbor provisions, which requires showing compliant with notice requirements.

One important thing — there are strict deadlines for filing these claims. Don't wait too long.

I work in this industry and unfortunately this is very common. The good news is that when people actually push back with legal representation, companies usually settle.

I went through almost the exact same thing.

The biggest mistake people make in this situation is filing with the appropriate government agency. I'd recommend gathering evidence first instead.

Have you tried reaching out to your state's labor board? They sometimes have free resources or mediation services.

I've dealt with this before.

In my case, it took about 2-4 months to resolve. The key was hiring an attorney to send the initial letter.

I went through almost the exact same thing.

What worked for me was filing with the appropriate government agency. It took 4-8 months but was worth it.

Just want to point out — the statute of limitations might be a factor here. In some states it's as short as 1-2 years. Don't sit on this too long.

Been there. Here's what I learned.

In my case, it took about 1-3 months to resolve. The key was escalating to a supervisor/manager.

Not a lawyer, but I have direct experience with this.

In my case, it took about 1-3 months to resolve. The key was escalating to a supervisor/manager.

I've dealt with this before.

The biggest mistake people make in this situation is having everything documented. I'd recommend keeping a detailed timeline instead.

I had a similar issue and ended up consulting with an attorney. It was worth the $200-300 for the initial consultation just to understand my rights.

This happened to me too. Have you tried filing a complaint with the relevant agency? In my case they investigated and it got resolved without needing a lawyer.

Not a lawyer, but I have direct experience with this.

The biggest mistake people make in this situation is having everything documented. I'd recommend keeping a detailed timeline instead.

I've dealt with this before.

I ended up filing with the appropriate government agency, which cost about $4-8 but saved me a lot more in the long run.