What Is Copyright?
Copyright refers to the legal right of the owner of intellectual property. In simpler terms, copyright is the right to copy. This means that the original creators of products and anyone they give authorization to are the only ones with the exclusive right to reproduce the work.
Copyright law gives creators of original material the exclusive right to further use and duplicate that material for a given amount of time. Once a copyright expires, the copyrighted item becomes public domain.
Key Takeaways
- Copyright law protects creators of original material from unauthorized duplication or use.
- For an original work to be protected by copyright laws, it has to be in tangible form.
- In the United States, the work of a creator is usually protected by copyright laws until 70 years after their death.
- Other forms of protection for property that cannot be copyrighted include trademarks and patents.
How Copyrighting Works
When someone creates a product that is viewed as original and required significant mental activity to create, this product becomes an intellectual property that must be protected from unauthorized duplication. Examples of unique creations include:
- Novels
- Art
- Poetry
- Musical lyrics and compositions
- Computer software
- Graphic designs
- Film
- Original architectural designs
- Website content
One safeguard that can be used to legally protect an original creation is copyright. Under copyright law, a work is considered original if the author created it from independent thinking void of duplication. This type of work is known as an Original Work of Authorship (OWA).
Anyone with an original work of authorship automatically has the copyright to that work, preventing anyone else from using or replicating it. The copyright can be registered voluntarily by the original owner if they would like to get an upper hand in the legal system if the need arises.
The copyright to your original work belongs to you even if you don’t register it with the government. However, you will need a registered copyright if you are bringing legal action for infringement.
Not all types of work can be copyrighted. A copyright does not protect ideas, discoveries, concepts, or theories. Brand names, logos, slogans, domain names, and titles also cannot be protected under copyright law. For an original work to be copyrighted, it has to be in tangible form. This means that any speech, discoveries, musical scores, or ideas have to be written down in physical form in order to be protected by copyright.
In the United States, original owners are protected by copyright laws all of their lives until 70 years after their death. If the original author of the copyrighted material is a corporation, the copyright protection period is 95 years from the date of publication or 120 years, whichever expires first.
U.S. copyright law has experienced a number of amendments and changes that have altered the duration of copyright protection. The “life of the author plus 70 years” protection can be attributed to the 1998 Copyright Term Extension Act, (also known as the Mickey Mouse Protection Act or Sonny Bono Act), which generally increased copyright protections by 20 years.
Copyright protection varies from country to country, and can stand for 50 to 100 years after the individual’s death, depending on the country.
Copyright vs. Trademarks and Patents
While copyright law is not all-encompassing, other laws, such as patent and trademark laws, may impose additional sanctions. Although copyrights, trademarks, and patents are frequently used interchangeably, they offer different forms of protection for intellectual property.
Trademark laws protect material that is used to distinguish an individual’s or corporation’s work from another entity. These materials include words, phrases, or symbols—such as logos, slogans, and brand names—that copyright laws do not cover. Patents cover inventions for a limited period of time. Patented materials include products such as industrial processes, machines, and chemical positions.
What Is the Difference Between Copyright and Trademark?
A copyright protects a creator’s original work from being used or duplicated without their permission. A trademark protects the reputation of a business that is associated with identifying material such as its logo or slogan. Both are ways of protecting intellectual property.
Do I Need to Register a Copyright for My Website?
Copyright exists as a right from the moment of creation. You do not need to register your original work, such as content on your website, for it to be your intellectual property. However, registering a copyright provides more legal protection. If you plan to bring a lawsuit against someone for infringing on your work, you will need to have a registered copyright.
How Much Does It Cost to Register a U.S. Copyright?
The cost of registering a copyright varies depending on what you are copyrighting and whether you are filing online or by paper. In the United States, the cost of copyright registration ranges from $45 to $500.
The Bottom Line
Copyright law is designed to protect the creators of original material. Their copyrighted work cannot be used or duplicated without their permission. In the United States, copyright usually lasts for 70 years after the creator’s death.
For work to be protected under copyright law, it must be tangible as well as original. Other forms of legal protection for intellectual property also exist, such as trademarks and patents.