How much does a copyright lawyer earn in the US?
Annual Salary
Hourly Wage
Top Earners
$143,318
$68
75th Percentile
$112,700
$54
Average
$110,089
$53
25th Percentile
$86,400
$42
What type of lawyer makes the most money?
Interested in a high-paying legal career? Learn about the highest-paid types of lawyers, their roles, and how our programs can help you achieve your career goals.
In the wide range of legal professions, certain specializations stand out for their substantial financial rewards. The Colleges of Law is committed to training dedicated, ethical, and hardworking lawyers, skills required for success in these and other careers in law.
The field of law is diverse, offering a multitude of specializations, each with its unique challenges and rewards. While all legal fields hold the potential for financial success and personal fulfillment, there are certain areas where lawyers, on average, tend to see higher earnings per year.
As of 2024, the top five highest paid types of lawyers are:
1. Patent attorneys | $185,000 |
2. IP attorneys | $167,000 |
This variation in earnings is influenced by factors such as specialization, geographic location, the complexity of the legal field, and the demand for specialized expertise. Some areas of law have emerged as particularly lucrative due to their complexity, the high stakes involved, or the specialized knowledge required.
Patent attorneys are involved in protecting the intellectual property rights of inventions. Their work spans drafting and filing patent applications, advising on patent law, and representing clients in patent litigation. This field is ideal for those who are fascinated by law and technology, offering an exciting blend of innovation and legal expertise.
Patent attorneys will find the Technology Professional Certificate program from The Colleges of Law highly beneficial. This program offers deep insights into areas like data security and blockchain technology, which are increasingly relevant in the rapidly evolving field of patent law.
IP attorneys play an important role in protecting rights related to artistic and inventive creations. Their responsibilities include negotiating deals, drafting licensing agreements, and representing clients in IP disputes. As the digital and creative landscapes continue to expand, IP attorneys find themselves in a constantly evolving and high-demand field.
IP attorneys will find our Entrepreneurship Professional Certificate to be invaluable. The program focuses on topics like emerging technology and the law, and building legal applications is crucial for IP attorneys working with startups and innovative companies. This certificate offers IP attorneys additional expertise to advise clients on the legal intricacies of launching and growing technology-driven businesses.
Is there a copyright law?
Copyright is a type of intellectual property that protects original works of authorship as soon as an author fixes the work in a tangible form of expression. In copyright law, there are a lot of different types of works, including paintings, photographs, illustrations, musical compositions, sound recordings, computer programs, books, poems, blog posts, movies, architectural works, plays, and so much more!
Works are original when they are independently created by a human author and have a minimal degree of creativity. Independent creation simply means that you create it yourself, without copying. The Supreme Court has said that, to be creative, a work must have a “spark” and “modicum” of creativity. There are some things, however, that are not creative, like: titles, names, short phrases, and slogans; familiar symbols or designs; mere variations of typographic ornamentation, lettering, or coloring; and mere listings of ingredients or contents. And always keep in mind that copyright protects expression, and never ideas, procedures, methods, systems, processes, concepts, principles, or discoveries.
A work is fixed when it is captured (either by or under the authority of an author) in a sufficiently permanent medium such that the work can be perceived, reproduced, or communicated for more than a short time. For example, a work is fixed when you write it down or record it.
“Congress shall have Power… To promote the Progress of Science and useful Arts, by securing for limited Times to Authors and Inventors the exclusive Right to their respective Writings and Discoveries.”— United States Constitution Article I, Section 8
Copyright has been a part of U.S. law since the nation’s founding. Congress passed the first federal copyright law in 1790, and has updated it throughout the years to keep up with the times. Our copyright timeline explains more of copyright’s history.
Everyone is a copyright owner. Once you create an original work and fix it, like taking a photograph, writing a poem or blog, or recording a new song, you are the author and the owner. Companies, organizations, and other people besides the work’s creator can also be copyright owners. Copyright law allows ownership through “works made for hire,” which establishes that works created by an employee within the scope of employment are owned by the employer. The work made for hire doctrine also applies to certain independent contractor relationships, for certain types of commissioned works. Copyright ownership can also come from contracts like assignments or from other types of transfers like wills and bequests.
U.S. copyright law provides copyright owners with the following exclusive rights:
- Reproduce the work
- Create derivative works
- Distribute copies of the work
- Perform the work publicly
- Display the work publicly
Copyright also provides the owner of copyright the right to authorize others to exercise these exclusive rights, subject to certain statutory limitations.
What is the highest paying lawyer type?
Interested in a high-paying legal career? Learn about the highest-paid types of lawyers, their roles, and how our programs can help you achieve your career goals.
In the wide range of legal professions, certain specializations stand out for their substantial financial rewards. The Colleges of Law is committed to training dedicated, ethical, and hardworking lawyers, skills required for success in these and other careers in law.
The field of law is diverse, offering a multitude of specializations, each with its unique challenges and rewards. While all legal fields hold the potential for financial success and personal fulfillment, there are certain areas where lawyers, on average, tend to see higher earnings per year.
As of 2024, the top five highest paid types of lawyers are:
1. Patent attorneys | $185,000 |
2. IP attorneys | $167,000 |
This variation in earnings is influenced by factors such as specialization, geographic location, the complexity of the legal field, and the demand for specialized expertise. Some areas of law have emerged as particularly lucrative due to their complexity, the high stakes involved, or the specialized knowledge required.
Patent attorneys are involved in protecting the intellectual property rights of inventions. Their work spans drafting and filing patent applications, advising on patent law, and representing clients in patent litigation. This field is ideal for those who are fascinated by law and technology, offering an exciting blend of innovation and legal expertise.
Patent attorneys will find the Technology Professional Certificate program from The Colleges of Law highly beneficial. This program offers deep insights into areas like data security and blockchain technology, which are increasingly relevant in the rapidly evolving field of patent law.
IP attorneys play an important role in protecting rights related to artistic and inventive creations. Their responsibilities include negotiating deals, drafting licensing agreements, and representing clients in IP disputes. As the digital and creative landscapes continue to expand, IP attorneys find themselves in a constantly evolving and high-demand field.
IP attorneys will find our Entrepreneurship Professional Certificate to be invaluable. The program focuses on topics like emerging technology and the law, and building legal applications is crucial for IP attorneys working with startups and innovative companies. This certificate offers IP attorneys additional expertise to advise clients on the legal intricacies of launching and growing technology-driven businesses.
According to Salary.com IP attorneys are among the highest-paid types of lawyers, averaging around $167,000 a year. An IP attorney’s salary normally ranges from around $152,000.
How much does a copyright lawyer earn in the US?
Annual Salary
Hourly Wage
Top Earners
$143,318
$68
75th Percentile
$112,700
$54
Average
$110,089
$53
25th Percentile
$86,400
$42
How much do copyright lawyers make in the UK?
Intellectual Property (IP) law relates to the establishment and protection of intellectual creations such as inventions, designs, brands, artwork and music. These rights are established, protected, enforced and promoted through means such as:
- Patents (usually for technical inventions)
- Trademarks (for goods and services)
- Copyright (music, art and literature)
- Designs (products and logos)
Lawyers tend to specialise in either contentious or non-contentious IP. Non-contentious work involves checking and registering client’s rights through, for example, patents and trademarks, as well as drafting commercial agreements to issue licences that allow others to use those rights. Contentious work is required when a client’s rights have been infringed or abused in any way.
Having a degree in a STEM subject is preferable but not essential for a career in intellectual property law. Work experience in the area is important so gaining as much IP experience as possible will help. This doesn’t need to be legal based. Many people come from the entertainment industry, engineering and technology industries to become an IP lawyer. You will also need to follow all the steps to becoming a qualified solicitor.
To become a solicitor, you can either take the Solicitors Qualifying Examination (SQE), or if you are eligible, you can study the Legal Practice Course (LPC). If you qualify through the SQE, you will also need to complete two years of Qualifying Work Experience (QWE).
If you want to become a barrister, you will need to have completed an undergraduate law degree, or if you are a non-law graduate, a conversion course, before completing the Bar Practice Course (BPC). You will then need to secure pupillage.
Clients can range from unknown individuals with a brilliant idea to patent, through to pharmaceutical giants and famous artists. IP lawyers need to build a rapport with a wide range of different people, and be able to think commercially and from a client’s point of view. Lawyers in this practice area need to understand the complex and technical language – many IP lawyers have previous relevant experience in other fields like science, technology and medicine. Attention to detail is vital as is the ability.
What is the highest patent lawyer salary?
The best Patent Attorney jobs can pay up to $275,000 per year. As a patent attorney, you work with clients to protect their inventions and intellectual property, ensuring that they have exclusive rights to it for a period.