COPYRIGHT MATTERS

Introduction

In the digital age, a lot of the original creative work we do is saved in digital files. Whether it’s your business logo or a video you made for your website, the importance of protecting that work has become more critical than ever before. This article will go through some basic information about copyrights and how they apply to your digital content as well as provide some tips on how best to protect that content so as not to risk losing any legal protections against infringement.

Protecting Your Original Creative Work

If you are a creative person, it’s important to understand how copyright works. Copyright is a legal right that protects the expression of ideas, not the ideas themselves. It’s automatic and doesn’t need to be registered with any government agency in order to be effective.

Registering your work with the U.S. Copyright Office does not give you more rights than you already have; rather, it serves as official notice of your claim so that others cannot claim they didn’t know about it or hadn’t been notified by their actions (such as using material from your website).

Copyright vs. Trademark

Copyright and trademark are both forms of intellectual property, but they serve different purposes. A copyright protects original works of authorship in tangible form (e.g., books, music, movies). A trademark protects words or symbols used by a company to distinguish its goods and services from other companies’ goods and services. It can also protect phrases that serve as a brand name for products or services if those phrases have become so closely associated with the product or service that consumers would think of them when purchasing those products or services.

To protect your copyrights:

• Register your work with the U.S Copyright Office at http://www.copyrightoffice.gov/forms/basics/basicform-cpdf/index-basicform-cpdf?view=detailed&id=50
• Register your work internationally through an affiliated organization such as World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), which has offices all over the world including London; Beijing; Buenos Aires; Nairobi; Seoul; Sydney

What is a Copyright?

A copyright is a form of intellectual property that protects original works of authorship. It can be granted to an individual or company, and covers both published and unpublished material. Works eligible for copyright protection include artistic or literary works such as books, movies, music, photographs and sculptures; as well as computer programs, databases and websites.

The law provides a number of ways in which you can obtain protection under U.S. Copyright Law:

• By creation date – If you created the item yourself (no matter when), then you own it automatically without having registered with the Copyright Office;
• By registration – You can register your work with the Copyright Office by filling out an application form online at www2uifilescom/copyrightform/. This will give you added legal benefits if someone tries to copy or sell your work without permission;
• By transfer from another person who owns part interest in their property rights relating thereto – If someone else created something using skill/talent which included yours then both parties may have joint ownership over those materials under common law principles articulated by courts throughout history

Digital Rights Management (DRM)

Digital Rights Management (DRM) is a security system that allows you to control who can access the digital content. It’s used in many different ways: music, movies, ebooks and other types of media are all protected with DRM.

Understanding Fair Use and Fair Dealing in the Digital World

Fair use is a legal doctrine that allows limited use of copyrighted material without acquiring permission from the rights holders. It’s not as simple as saying « I’ll just use it under fair use, » though; there are four factors that must be considered when determining whether or not your proposed usage qualifies as fair.

Fair dealing laws apply only in Canada, but they work much like their American counterparts: The idea is to allow for certain uses of copyrighted materials without acquiring permission from rights holders–but again, there are restrictions on what can be done under these circumstances.

Be aware of how your digital work can be protected and what you need to do to protect it.

Be aware of how your digital work can be protected and what you need to do to protect it.

• Know what your copyright is.
• Get a copyright for your work.
• Be aware of the difference between copyright and trademark, as well as fair use and fair dealing in the digital world.

Conclusion

While digital content can be more easily copied and distributed, it’s still possible to protect your original creative work. You just need to know what types of protection are available and how they work. If you’re unsure about how best to protect your own digital creations, talk with an attorney who specializes in intellectual property law!