Munck Wilson Mandala has a comprehensive copyright practice. We understand that your original works of authorship are among your most valuable assets. We regularly advise clients on the registration, licensing, sale, and protection of their creations. We also advise clients on the use of copyrighted work of others. With experience representing clients in matters across all industries, we work collaboratively with you to achieve goals and help you protect your assets.

Our copyright lawyers work with our trial lawyers to enforce our clients’ copyrights and to defend our clients against infringement claims. We represent clients in federal court, as well as in proceedings before administrative agencies such as the Copyright Office or U.S. Customs agencies.

We work with clients to address issues raised by business and trade associations such as software developers (e.g., Business Software Alliance), the recording industries (e.g., Recording Industry Association of America), movie studios (e.g., Motion Picture Association of America) and the like.

No Texas firm is more aggressive in intellectual property law than Munck Wilson. And Bill Munck predicts that new technologies will lead the firm to dramatic growth in lawyer headcounts and geographic expansion in 2023.

Texas Lawbook, April 19, 2022

Press Releases

Munck Wilson Mandala Ranked Among 2022 U.S. News – Best Lawyers® “Best Law Firms”

In Austin, MWM ranked in copyright law, IP litigation, and trademark law.  In Los Angeles, MWM ranked in IP litigation. Firms included in the 2022 edition of U.S. News – Best Lawyers® “Best Law Firms” are recognized for professional excellence with consistently impressive ratings from clients and peers. To be eligible for a ranking, a

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Press Releases

Munck Wilson Mandala Welcomes Trademark Attorney Chandler Stephens

Stephens earned her J.D., with honors, from The University of Texas School of Law, where she received several academic awards, including the Dean’s Achievement Award twice.  For her undergraduate degree, Stephens attended Texas A&M University where she graduated summa cum laude with a Bachelor of Arts in psychology and earned various academic honors. Munck Wilson

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Press Releases

Munck Wilson Mandala Named a 2020 Inc. Best Workplace; Only Full-Service Law Firm Recognized in the Nation

Collecting data from more than 3,000 submissions, Inc. singled out 395 finalists nationally for this year’s list.  Each nominated company took part in an employee survey on topics including trust, management effectiveness, perks, and confidence in the future.  Inc. gathered, analyzed, and audited the data. The strongest engagement scores came from companies that prioritize the

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Press Releases

13 Munck Wilson Mandala Attorneys Recognized as Best Lawyers in America©; 8 Recognized as Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch

The MWM attorneys recognized as Best Lawyers in America© are managing partner William Munck, who has been recognized annually since 2011, chair of the litigation practice Jamil Alibhai, litigation partner Kelly Chen, IP partner Greg Howison, chair of the corporate law practice Larry Mandala, co-chair of the employment and labor practice Michael McCabe, chair of

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Press Releases

Munck Wilson Mandala Honored as a 2020 Inc. Best Workplace

Collecting data from more than 3,000 submissions, Inc. singled out 395 finalists nationally for this year’s list.  Each nominated company took part in an employee survey on topics including trust, management effectiveness, perks, and confidence in the future.  Inc. gathered, analyzed, and audited the data. The strongest engagement scores came from companies that prioritize the

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In the News

An Entrepreneur’s Guide to Intellectual Property Law Firms

Entrepreneurs have a myriad of tasks to conquer as they begin their journey to launch a successful business. Too often in the chaos, protecting intellectual property is overlooked. When there’s so much to do, who wants to research intellectual property law firms? Some entrepreneurs avoid speaking to a knowledgeable IP attorney, thinking that it will

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Press Releases

Texas Lawyer Names William Munck a Texas Trailblazer

As a trailblazer, Munck was the first in his family to attend college and combined his computer science, electrical engineering, and mathematic skills with a law degree.  He was recruited heavily by Silicon Valley firms in the 90s but chose Texas to start his legal career.  Munck saw the potential that North Texas provided in

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Press Releases

Munck Wilson Mandala Welcomes New LA Partner Jenifer Wallis

“We were extremely impressed with Jenifer’s experience in intellectual property, complex litigation and entertainment,” said MWM’s managing partner William A. Munck.  “She is a perfect fit for the projected expansion of our firm in LA and she will complement the work of our managing partner Gary Hecker.” “I am looking forward to working with Jenifer,”

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Press Releases

23 Munck Wilson Mandala Lawyers Named to 2024 Best Lawyers List

Munck Wilson Mandala is pleased to announce that 23 lawyers have been included in the 2024 edition of The Best Lawyers in America. Since it was first published in 1983, Best Lawyers has become universally regarded as the definitive guide to legal excellence. Lawyers on The Best Lawyers in America list are divided by geographic

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Press Releases

Munck Wilson Mandala Ranked Among 2024 Best Lawyers “Best Law Firms”

In Dallas, MWM ranked as a Best Law Firm® in commercial litigation, copyright law, corporate law, employment law/management, insurance law, labor law/management, litigation/construction, litigation/intellectual property, litigation/labor and employment, litigation/patent, mergers and acquisitions law, patent law, sports law, technology law, trademark law, and venture capital law. In Austin, MWM ranked as a Best Law Firm® in

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Client Alerts

Severe Implications of Willful Infringement and the Importance of Obtaining Licenses

In the case of Scott Hargis v. Pacifica Senior Management LLC, an architectural photographer, Scott Hargis, alleged that a senior living management company “reproduced, distributed, and publicly displayed” Hargis’s photos on its website for commercial purposes without a license.i Specifically, Hargis alleged that the company willfully infringed because it is “it is a sophisticated for-profit

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Press Releases

29 Munck Wilson Mandala Lawyers Named to 2025 Best Lawyers List

Lawyers on The Best Lawyers in America list are divided by geographic region and practice areas. They are reviewed by their peers based on professional expertise and undergo an authentication process to make sure they are in current practice and in good standing.  MWM is proud to have lawyers listed in Austin, Dallas, Houston, and

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In the News

Meta’s Legal Battle over Fake Ads Reveal AI Challenges in IP Law

Written as a column for Daily Journal by MWM’s Kristin Kosinski The field of intellectual property is accustomed to the nuanced application of existing legal frameworks to issues created by nascent and evolving technologies. Artificial intelligence (AI) presents challenges to trademark, privacy, and copyright laws, such as whether AI-created images, videos, replicas, or voice simulations

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Client Alerts

“And Really, THAT Song?” – Use of Copyrighted Music by Political Campaigns

In recent years, more politically attuned artists and writers have sent cease and desist letters to political campaigns to prevent candidates from playing their music at rallies. These letters often serve as little more than public relations maneuvers as they easily grab headlines and make the rounds on social media. For example, Celine Dion recently

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Press Releases

MWM Leading the Charge in AI-Related Litigation

At Munck Wilson Mandala, we are avid champions of AI innovation. The rapid growth of AI presents enormous opportunities but also many new legal challenges. In a landmark case that underscores the complexities of AI and digital rights, Munck Wilson Mandala has filed a lawsuit against ElevenLabs, Inc., a leading provider of text-to-speech services. The

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Press Releases

Munck Wilson Mandala Ranked Among 2025 Best Lawyers® U.S. Best Law Firms®

In Dallas, MWM ranked as a Best Law Firm® in commercial litigation, copyright law, corporate law, employment law/management, insurance law, labor law/management, litigation/construction, litigation/intellectual property, litigation/labor and employment, litigation/patent, mergers and acquisitions law, patent law, sports law, technology law, and trademark law. In Austin, MWM ranked as a Best Law Firm® in administrative/regulatory law and

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Client Alerts

Reclaiming Creative Rights: Understanding 17 U.S.C. § 203 and Copyright Termination

Under U.S. copyright law, the individual or individuals responsible for the creation of a given work, i.e., the “author(s),” immediately retain the exclusive rights under Section 106 of the U.S. Copyright Act to distribute, perform, reproduce, and create derivative works. Authors may then enter into agreements that give others permission to exercise those rights. In

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