Copyright: Definition and Basic Overview
Jump to Section
Copyrights are the perfect choice when you want to protect your creative works and intellectual property rights. While you can copyright your original creations without registration, you can glean certain advantages if you make things official with the federal government.
In the page below, we took a deep dive into copyright laws and how you can use one in your business:
What Is a Copyright?
Copyrights are legal protections for exclusive rights of creative works. Creative works include literary, artistic, educational, and musical intellectual property. The traditional copyright symbol is ©.
Copyright Basics with Examples
While registration is not required to own a copyright, it is required before you can file a lawsuit for copyright infringement. Copyright registration also creates a public record of your claim. This process is a requirement for infringement lawsuits should one arise.
The legal benefits of registering your copyright far outweigh the effort. Creators should consider doing so when creating copyrightable work. You will likely thank yourself in the future.
What Works Can I Copyright?
The term “copyrightable work” refers to original forms of expression. You can copyright works in the following formats and mediums:
- Musical compositions
- Pantomimes
- Choreographic works
- Paintings, graphic design, and sculptures
- Audiovisual works
- Sound recordings
- Literary works
- Architectural designs
Here’s a list of things that aren’t copyrighted:
- Procedures, methods, systems, and processes
- Logos, slogans, and other forms of trade dress
- Unwritten speeches or performances
- Government-funded projects
As you can see, copyright legislation is broad. However, it does not cover every instance of creativity.
If you have questions or concerns about what you can copyright, always speak with a copyright lawyer for greater clarity. They can also help you handle the application and search process. Many business owners have reassurance knowing they’ll avoid expensive legal mistakes with this option.
How Long Does a Copyright Last?
Some believe that copyright registration is valid for 70 years after creator’s death. This fact is only true for works created by a single owner.
Most copyrights have a duration determined by the type of entity that owns the copyright, the number of authors, and other factors. Joint ownership lasts for 70 years after last surviving author’s death.
What Rights Does a Copyright Holder Have?
Copyright holders have various rights, including the ability to reproduce, sell, and publicly display their work. According to copyright law, these rights are exclusive. Exclusivity means that the copyright holder is the only entity permitted to take certain actions.
Copyright holders have the following rights:
- Create derivative works based on the source material
- Distribution
- Lease or lend copies
- Make copies of the work
- Perform original copyrighted work
- Publicly display the copyrighted work
- Sell or transfer ownership
Copyright infringement occurs when someone uses the work without permission or a legal defense such as fair use. If someone infringes upon your rights, consider exercising your options for remedy.
376 projects on CC
CC verified
What Are Your Legal Rights If Someone Infringes Upon Them?
Depending on the circumstances, you can settle the dispute in or out of court if for infringement cases. You can’t legally enforce your copyright ownership rights without registration. Additionally, the infringer won’t face prosecution.
However, there’s a process if someone infringes on your copyright and you haven’t registered it yet. Start by contacting the infringer and request that they stop. Most business owners end up hiring a copyright lawyer to send a cease and desist letter.
However, if you have a copyright registration, your cease and desist will always be more persuasive when the person knows you have the right to sue if they ignore you.
How Much Does It Cost to Get a Copyright?
While there’s an expedited process, copyright registration costs are $45-$65 for non-expedited copyright filings. In the grand scheme of things in the business world, this filing fee is relatively nominal. Expedited registration costs can exceed $800, not including preparation costs.
Beyond that, you won’t be able to take any formal or legally binding actions until you register your work with the copyright office.
Examples of Copyright Basics
Understanding how copyrights work is more straightforward with examples. Below, we’ve created a few common examples to help you understand copyright basics:
Copyright Example 1. Music and Merchandise
Here’s a copyright example involving a local recording artist:
- Omar is an Americana and folk artist in Montana
- He writes, records, and performs music as part of his work
- He also operates a website that helps him sell music and merchandise
- Omar’s copyright lawyers advise him to register and affix a copyright symbol
- Omar’s web designer places a copyright symbol in the IP footer of his site
- Omar’s graphic designer includes the copyright on his printed materials and graphic design works
- Omar feels safe and secure that his IP remains protected over the course of his career as a local recording artist
Copyright Example 2. Orchestral Scores
Here’s a copyright example involving a composer:
- Luis is a conductor for a regional philharmonic orchestra
- He is creating an original score for the orchestra to perform in a few years
- Upon completion, Luis speaks with his copyright lawyers
- Luis decides to register a copyright after speaking with them
- Luis retains his Original Work of Authorship (OWA) over the score
- The score is a massive hit with audiences
- A metropolitan orchestra becomes impressed with his compositions
- Luis accepts a job offer and signs a contract with them
- Luis’ OWA permits him to perform his score with the new orchestra
Image via Pexels by Suzy
Copyright Example 3. Website Footers
Here’s an example of a copyright for a website:
- Milo owns a company that manufactures disinfecting wipes
- His company, Hawthorn Wipes, operates a website that sells direct-to-consumer
- Milo also invests in search engine optimization and content
- He is right to feel concerned about IP theft
- Milo does a quick online search and thinks he should add a copyright symbol to the footer
- Milo is an agile business owner and makes website changes through his CMS
- Hawthorn Wipes’ web content is now protected from fraud or theft
This article also covers copyright basics.
What Is Copyright Registration?
Copyright registrations are verifiable records of a work’s creation date, owner, and content. The United States Copyright Office assigns a copyright registration number to a work after submitting an application and paying an application fee. In legal cases of plagiarism or infringement, this measure safeguards the copyright owner.
What Is a Copyright Search?
Copyright searches are necessary for using or registering copyright. Anyone can search the Library of Congress to perform one. From there, people can locate all recorded claimants for the specific query, including renewals and assignments.
Copyright vs. Trademarks
The primary distinction between copyrights vs. trademarks is that copyrighting generally protects creative works. On the other hand, trademarks preserve a brand’s trade dress.
However, they’re similar in that you don’t have to register them to use them but can if you wish to invoke certain legal protections and rights. Ownership also belongs to the original creator in both cases.
Get Help with Copyright Laws
Are you thinking about copyrighting your creative works of expression? It’s a wise idea since intellectual property is vital to your success. Instead of leaving your works unprotected, speak with copyright lawyers for legal help.
Post a project in ContractsCounsel’s marketplace to get free bids from intellectual property lawyers in our network. All lawyers are vetted by our team and peer reviewed by our customers for you to explore before hiring.
ContractsCounsel is not a law firm, and this post should not be considered and does not contain legal advice. To ensure the information and advice in this post are correct, sufficient, and appropriate for your situation, please consult a licensed attorney. Also, using or accessing ContractsCounsel's site does not create an attorney-client relationship between you and ContractsCounsel.
Meet some of our Copyright Lawyers
Artem V.
Attorney licensed in New York and Texas, with experience in real estate, corporate and finance transactions, contracts, intellectual property, and privacy matters. Artem provides practical, business-focused legal support to startups and small to mid-sized companies, delivering solutions across corporate, commercial, and general business needs.
"Working with Artem was a great experience from start to finish. He was professional, approachable, and incredibly helpful, always making sure my questions were answered and that I fully understood each step of the process. I truly appreciated his time, patience, and expertise. It was a pleasure working with him, and I would not hesitate to recommend him to others or work with him again in the future."
December 4, 2023
Tayane O.
Tayane M. Oliveira is a founding partner at Vannucci Oliveira. With a concentration in family law, Tayane is renowned for her commitment to providing compassionate yet powerful representation to her clients. Her experience as an associate attorney at Brodzki Jacobs & Brook, coupled with her unwavering dedication to her clients' welfare, prepared her for her current role at Vannucci Oliveira. Tayane's academic achievements are a testament to her rigorous intellectual curiosity and dedication to her profession. She graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Criminal Justice, supplemented by a minor in Psychology, from Florida Atlantic University in 2013. The culmination of her academic pursuit came in 2017, when she earned her Juris Doctor degree, cum laude, from the esteemed Nova Southeastern University's Shepard Broad College of Law. Before co-founding Vannucci Oliveira, Tayane honed her skills in the heat of the courtroom, representing clients in an array of general civil litigation matters. This diversified exposure instilled in her an ability to tackle complex legal challenges, a skill she employs to benefit her clients in family law. Originally from Brazil, Tayane brings an international perspective to her practice. When not delving into legal briefs or advocating for her clients, she indulges in travelling, reading, spoiling her puppies, and exercising, activities that not only rejuvenate her but also provide her with a broader perspective on the world and her practice. *Supreme Court Certified Portuguese Speaking Mediator
December 4, 2023
McCoy S.
P. McCoy Smith is the Founding Attorney at Lex Pan Law LLC, a full-service technology and intellectual property law firm based in Portland, Oregon, U.S.A and Opsequio LLC, an open source compliance consultancy. Prior to his current position, he spent 20 years in the legal department of a Fortune 50 multinational technology company as a business unit intellectual property specialist; among his duties was setting up the free & open source legal function and policies for that company. He preceded his in-house experience with 8 years in private practice in a large New York City-based boutique intellectual property law firm, working simultaneously as a U.S. patent litigator and U.S. patent prosecutor. He was also a patent examiner at the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office prior to attending law school. He is licensed to practice law in Oregon, California & New York and to prosecute patent applications in the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office; he is also a registered Trademark and Patent Agent with the Canadian Intellectual Property Office. He has degrees from Colorado State University (Bachelor of Science, Mechanical Engineering, with honors), Johns Hopkins University (Masters of Liberal Arts) and the University of Virginia (Juris Doctor). While in private practice, and continuing into his in-house career, he taught portions of the U.S. patent bar exam for a long-standing and well-known patent bar exam preparation course, and from 2014-2020 was on the editorial board of the Journal of Open Law, Technology & Society (JOLTS), and starting in 2023 will be on the editorial board of the American Intellectual Property Law Quarterly Journal (AIPLAQJ). He is the author or co-author of chapters on open source and copyright and patents in “Open Source Law, Policy & Practice” (2022, Oxford University Press). He lectures frequently around the world on free and open source issues as well as other intellectual property topics.
December 6, 2023
Eliza J.
Eliza brings a distinguished track record of delivering outstanding results for her clients, showcasing expertise across a spectrum of legal areas. Eliza is not just an attorney; she's your dedicated advocate with a proven record of achieving excellent results for her clients. Her representation spans numerous family law cases, including dissolutions, custody, support, probate, and civil litigation matters. Eliza's unique background as a Registered Nurse and licensed Attorney sets her apart. Before establishing her law practice, she served as a Registered Nurse in various hospitals across Los Angeles and the Bay Area. Notably, she contributed to prominent institutions such as Los Angeles County Public Health and the City of Anaheim. Additionally, Eliza ventured into entrepreneurship, managing her own Professional Fiduciary and Consulting business. Her legal acumen extends to civil litigation, personal injury, medical malpractice, nursing home abuse, worker's compensation, and family law matters. Eliza earned her Bachelor's Degree in Nursing and Public Health from CSU Dominguez Hills. In 2008, she furthered her education, obtaining a Master's Degree in Nursing, Administration, and Healthcare Management, along with a Quality Improvement Certificate. Eliza culminated her academic journey by earning her law degree from the JFK University of Law in 2016. Eliza's multidisciplinary background uniquely positions her to navigate the intricacies of legal matters, offering a comprehensive and compassionate approach to her client's diverse needs. Eliza's diverse background uniquely positions her to understand and address your legal needs comprehensively. Trust her to navigate your case with care and dedication, ensuring you receive the support you deserve.
December 6, 2023
Kenneth W.
Committed to a career in advocacy as an attorney, educator, and consultant, I specialize in education, family, personal injury, and criminal law. While at John Rue & Associates LLC, I led litigation and alternative dispute resolution, handling complex class-action lawsuits involving discrimination, privacy, administrative, and education law. I also directed conflict resolution through mediation, reducing costs and securing favorable client outcomes. While in law school, I served as a law clerk at Wilson Elser, excelling in crafting answers, overseeing discovery, attending depositions, and conducting exhaustive legal research. My responsibilities extended to preparing deposition summaries, assisting in motion practice, drafting persuasive briefs, evaluating cases, and contributing to trial preparations. I thrived in managing client affairs, supporting colleagues, and ensuring compliance with relevant laws. I am eager to explore opportunities to contribute my skills and passion to impactful projects aligned with client needs. I look forward to discussing opportunities and demonstrating how my qualifications will meet client needs.
Adam T.
Legal professional with 10+ years of Fortune 500 in-house and AmLaw 50 law firm experience in crafting multi-pronged litigation, regulatory, and public policy strategies and negotiating pioneering, high-stakes global cloud services and digital content distribution deals.
Ido A.
Ido Alexander is dedicated to helping his clients identify risks and understand how to navigate the unknowns. He has a keen ability to sort through the noise to develop strategies for growth and advance clients' interests. An experienced counsel, he focuses on finding solutions for businesses, estate planning needs, helping resolve complex and strategic disputes, and at times restructuring through bankruptcy or out of court, while keeping his clients' financial health as the top priority.
Find the best lawyer for your project
Browse Lawyers NowIntellectual Property
Copyright
New York
Is using a mug or merchandise in a flyer for an event with another company’s logo copyright infringement.
Creating imagery with for an event that has an item with a logo on it
Jane C.
Do you have a license to use the intellectual property? Consult with an attorney.
Quick, user friendly and one of the better ways I've come across to get ahold of lawyers willing to take new clients.
View Trustpilot ReviewHow It Works
Intellectual Property lawyers by top cities
- Austin Intellectual Property Lawyers
- Boston Intellectual Property Lawyers
- Chicago Intellectual Property Lawyers
- Dallas Intellectual Property Lawyers
- Denver Intellectual Property Lawyers
- Houston Intellectual Property Lawyers
- Los Angeles Intellectual Property Lawyers
- New York Intellectual Property Lawyers
- Phoenix Intellectual Property Lawyers
- San Diego Intellectual Property Lawyers
- Tampa Intellectual Property Lawyers
Copyright lawyers by city
- Austin Copyright Lawyers
- Boston Copyright Lawyers
- Chicago Copyright Lawyers
- Dallas Copyright Lawyers
- Denver Copyright Lawyers
- Houston Copyright Lawyers
- Los Angeles Copyright Lawyers
- New York Copyright Lawyers
- Phoenix Copyright Lawyers
- San Diego Copyright Lawyers
- Tampa Copyright Lawyers
Contracts Counsel was incredibly helpful and easy to use. I submitted a project for a lawyer's help within a day I had received over 6 proposals from qualified lawyers. I submitted a bid that works best for my business and we went forward with the project.
View Trustpilot Review
I never knew how difficult it was to obtain representation or a lawyer, and ContractsCounsel was EXACTLY the type of service I was hoping for when I was in a pinch. Working with their service was efficient, effective and made me feel in control. Thank you so much and should I ever need attorney services down the road, I'll certainly be a repeat customer.
View Trustpilot Review
I got 5 bids within 24h of posting my project. I choose the person who provided the most detailed and relevant intro letter, highlighting their experience relevant to my project. I am very satisfied with the outcome and quality of the two agreements that were produced, they actually far exceed my expectations.
View Trustpilot Review