Understanding Copyrights

If you have always wondered exactly what a copyright is, but did not know where to look, this is here to help you. I have put together a summary of key point U.S. copyright information. These are my plain understandings of information I have read elsewhere. I encourage you to research the subject more in depth if wish to have a deeper understanding. Please forgive my grammar, as I am not a professional writer.

Dictionary.com defines the word COPYRIGHT as:

“1. The exclusive right to make copies, license, and otherwise exploit a literary, musical, or artistic work, whether printed, audio, video, etc.: works granted such right by law on or after January 1, 1978, are protected for the lifetime of the author or creator and for a period of 50 years after his or her death.”

- In other words - If you are the creator of an original work, you can claim copyright on that work.

!! This does NOT include modifying someone else’s work it in Photoshop or what have you. !!

If 2 people collaborate to create a work, those 2 people co-own the copyright unless there is an alternative arrangement or agreement. (A written arrangement / agreement isn't a bad idea!)

You can claim copyright on both published and non-published works.

You can formally register a copyright.
To register is to make a public record of your copyright on a specific work(s).
- Only the owner, or party who purchased the copyright, may register it.

Only the copyright owner may, if they wish, give [formally written] permission to anyone looking to reproduce, distribute, display, or reference their copyrighted work.

In the case of a COMMISSION, the commissioner owns the copyright. The person producing the commission is merely the “employee” and has passed their right over that work to the commissioner.

Ownership of a piece of work created by another person, i.e. buying a print or otherwise, does NOT mean you own the copyright. It just makes you an art supporter! Yay for you

An “International copyright” does NOT exist. Each country has their own laws, though some may assist / protect U.S. copyright laws.



Some things you can NOT claim a copyright over:

Titles
Lettering
Methods
Phrases
Ideas
Imformation
concepts, etc…

Only complete and polished works can be copyrighted.

It is ILLEGAL (against the law) to violate a persons copyright.

Though DA provides a copyright in text below every submission, it is still very important to copyright your own work. It is imperative to sign, date and or watermark your work if you plan to place it in reach of the public. Protect yourself, your art, and the integrity of your work.


To copyright your work:

Place any of the following, clearly, somewhere in your art:
(c) , © , copyright , copr
Also, include the year the work was published, and your name or initials. If you revise anything you have already copyrighted, you may add the year it was revised to the copyright information in the work.

As long as all of the above are clear and visible in your work, “innocent infringement” can not be claimed in lawsuit - should you be unfortunate to experience that.


It is my hope that anyone finds this somewhat useful.


A couple points of reference for more information:
[link]
[link]