CopyrightTips from experts* at CopyrightsNow.com
Copyrights and Notice* on your work…
Copyright is a form of intellectual property law that protects original works of authorship including literary, dramatic, musical, and artistic works, such as poetry, novels, movies, songs, computer software, and architecture… and includes your text (i.e., story), images, photos, illustrations and audio/visual elements within the work.
A copyright notice lets the public know that a work is protected under copyright law and may not be copied, published, disseminated, displayed, performed, or played without permission of the copyright holder(s) except in accordance with fair use or licensed agreement.
While a notice is optional for works created after March 1, 1989, it is a good idea to place a notice on the work to indicate your claim of rights in the work.
Copyright notice can be placed on your work for both registered and unregistered copyrights; however, without registering your copyrights you cannot enforce your copyrights from piracy and illegal use or file a lawsuit to recover damages for copyright infringement.
You must register your copyrights within 3 months of publication or distribution and before any infringement occurs to recover full damages and attorney fees.
To start your copyright protection, click to learn more about registration NOW!
Proper Copyright Notice Format
Example: © 2023 Jane Smith. All Rights Reserved.
The proper format requires the word “copyright” or © symbol, year of first publication (or year created if unpublished) and the copyright owner.
A notice should be on the first page or a visually perceptible location.
Unpublished Works
Although a copyright notice is not required for unpublished works, due to timing issues between preliminary distribution and actual publication it is a good idea to place copyright notices on the work to indicate a claim of ownership rights in the work.
Published Works
Although a notice is optional for published works, placing a copyright notice on your work provides these benefits:
• A notice makes potential infringers aware that copyright is claimed in the work and acts as a deterrent from copying or plagiarizing your work
(Without registering your copyrights, you cannot enforce your copyrights from piracy and illegal use or file a lawsuit to recover damages for copyright infringement.)
• A notice may preclude an “innocent infringement defense” by a potential infringer to attempt to limit their liability for infringement damages
• A notice identifies the copyright owner and the year of first publication, which may be used to determine the term of copyright protection
• A notice may prevent the work from becoming an orphan work by identifying the copyright owner and specifying the term of the copyright
So, in summary, it is ‘best-practice’ to always place a proper copyright notice on your work.
To start your copyright protection, click to learn more about registration NOW!
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*For complete information on Copyright Notices see U. S. Copyright Office – Circular 3 Copyright Notice https://www.copyright.gov/circs/circ03.pdf
The information contained in this post and software application are believed to be accurate at the time of publication; however, copyright regulations change and subject to various interpretations… so always consult with a personal attorney for legal advice.
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