By Ethel Phipps
Copyright protection is an important thing to have, especially these days. It provides an important incentive for the creation of your intellectual properties. Without copyright protection, it would be easy for other people to exploit your work and use it for their own sake.
The thing is, copyright protection is extremely complicated. And it’s not rare for many people to misunderstand it or have misconceptions about it. But since copyright protection is so important, you need to take the time to study and understand what it is all about.
Here are some important things you need to know about copyright protection.
Only the originator of a creative work can qualify for copyright protection.
The copyright laws protect anyone who creates a creative work, and that person will have control of when and how their work can be copied and disseminated. Copyright protection prevents other people to gain profit from someone’s creative work.
COPYRIGHT DOESN’T APPLY TO IDEAS, CONCEPT, DISCOVERY, PRINCIPLE, ETC.
Copyright protection is not absolute though. It has limitations. There are cases where copyright doesn’t extend protection to things like:
Ideas
Concept
Discovery
Principle
Methods
Process
System
Procedure
Copyright also doesn’t apply to creative works that are too short such as names and titles. There’s also some things that don’t qualify for copyright and may seek other forms of protection. Businesses, for example, can request trademark protection for their brand names, while inventors can seek patents for their inventions.
COPYRIGHT BEGINS INSTANTLY ON CREATION BUT YOU NEED TO REGISTER YOUR WORK THOUGH.
Copyright does begin instantly on the creation of your work, but you may not be able to enforce it until you register your work promptly. Your copyrighted works must be timely registered for you to receive maximum protection from copyright law.
If you don’t register your copyrighted works, you won’t be able to sue in a federal court.
Also, you won’t be eligible for statutory damages or attorney fees.
Timely registration of your creative work is essential if you want to have the option to sue someone.
COPYRIGHT GIVES YOU THE RIGHT TO PURSE ANYBODY WHO INFRINGES YOUR COPYRIGHT.
If someone infringes your copyrighted works, you have the right to pursue them and force them to pay you for a license, or give you compensation for the financial loss you may have incurred. If someone is exploiting your work without you knowing, you have legal grounds to stop them and receive payment for any earnings they may have made off the back of your work.
YOU CAN ISSUES LICENSES TO OTHER PARTIES TO ALLOW THEM TO USE YOUR COPYRIGHTED WORK.
If other parties are interested in using your copyrighted work, you can issue licenses to them to make sure that you’ll still financially benefit from their use.
Licensing is a legal authorization that you may issue to another party which will permit them to use all or some of your copyrighted works. Issuing licenses is also an excellent way of increasing the legal protection of your ideas. You can also use them as evidence against another party if they don’t fulfill their part of the deal or if they’re using your copyrighted work without your knowledge.
YOUR COPYRIGHTED WORKS WILL OUTLIVE YOU.
Your copyrighted works will prove to be an asset to you throughout the rest of your life. In fact, it’s highly probable that your copyrighted work will probably outlive you. It can even have considerable value for years to come and may also be used as a strong financial asset.
There is also the concept of your copyrighted works to become a legacy. A copyright can last for decades, and you can pass it down as part of an estate.
Copyrights for literary, artistic and musical works, can last for a further 70 years after the death of the originator of the work.
In broadcasting and publishing, copyright can extend to 50 years.
COPYRIGHT PROTECTION ALSO APPLIES TO UNPUBLISHED WORKS.
Copyright protection also extends to unpublished works. Your work doesn’t have to be published to qualify for copyright protection, just as long as you’re the original creator of the work.
COPYRIGHT PROTECTION GIVES EXCLUSIVE RIGHTS TO ITS OWNER
COPYRIGHT PROTECTION GIVES ITS OWNER EXCLUSIVE RIGHTS LIKE:
Only the owner can reproduce the work
Only the owner has the right to adapt or make changes to the work
Only the owner has the right to use the work
Only the owner has the right to distribute, display, or sell copies of the work
Only the owner has the right to incorporate the work with visual images
Only the owner has the right to issue a license to permit another party to do any of the things mentioned above.
So these are the important things you need to remember about copyright protection. Remember to keep your intellectual property safe and protected. Copyright infringements are very common nowadays, so be sure to know about copyright protection.
Disclaimer: This article contains legal information regarding copyright protection. No legal advice or opinion was stated in this article. Kindly refer to a qualified legal representative for more legal information regarding this matter.
Ethel Phipps
Ethel Phipps is a passionate law writer. She writes pieces on various law topics that she hopes could help the common reader with their concerns. She is forever a creative spirit. She always expresses herself with creative pieces such as fiction whenever she has the time.