Copyright Registration

Protect your original works of art

A copyright helps protect your original creations and gives only you the right to reproduce, publish or profit from them. Copyright registration provides a public record of the copyright claim, and helps you protect literary, dramatic, musical, and artistic works from infringement or distribution by others. We make it easy to complete your copyright application by handling all of the necessary paperwork on your behalf.

Why should I protect my artistic creations with a copyright?

Protect your creations

Filing a copyright helps you protect the time, creativity and energy you invested to create your original works by preventing others from reproducing, performing, or making a profit from your art.

Intellectual property ownership

When you file a copyright, only you have the right to reproduce, perform and display your work publicly, or authorize others to do so with your permission.

Display your registration

Registering your copyright allow you to display the copyright symbol (©) and clearly demonstrates that your work is protected, preventing any potential infringement.

We handle everything

Answer a few simple questions on our website, and you will be on your way to filing your copyright. Our experts complete all of the paperwork for your copyright application on your behalf.

Register a Copyright Now

What is a Copyright?

A copyright is defined as a form of intellectual property protection for original works of authorship. At its most general, copyright is literally "the right to copy" an original creation. These works may be published, but they may also receive protection if they are unpublished. Copyright law states that the original creative expression, published or not, is still considered to be the work of its author - and if you are the creator of this work, then you are its author. However, keep in mind that not every form of creativity may have a copyright. You cannot copyright facts, ideas, or systems, for instance.

What does copyright registration help you protect?

The main purpose of a copyright is to protect "original works of authorship". By its most general definition, copyright is literally "the right to copy" an original creation. Copyrights can help you protect:

  • Literary works (fiction, non-fiction, poetry, articles, periodicals)
  • Performing arts (music, lyrics, sound recordings, scripts, stage plays)
  • Visual arts (artwork, illustrations, jewelry, fabric, architecture)
  • Motion pictures (movies, TV shows, video games, animation, videos)
  • Photographs (news, wedding, and family photos as well as selfies)
  • Digital content (computer programs, databases, blogs, websites)
  • Architectural works (buildings, architectural plans, drawings)

By registering your copyright, you create a public record of your work and your copyright claim. If anyone infringes on your copyright, you may sue for copyright infringement, and be able to recover damages for infringement.

What does a copyright NOT protect?

Not every kind of intellectual property can be protected by a copyright. For some kinds of expressions, you may need to file a trademark instead. Some examples include:

  • Product names
  • Business Names
  • Book Titles
  • Business slogans or advertising phrases
  • Lists of ingredients, such as unique recipes

Trademark or Copyright

What is the difference between a trademark and a copyright?


How Do I Protect My:

TrademarkTM

Copyright©

Unique Logos

Business Name : ( McDonalds )

Product Name: ( Crest Toothpaste )

Unique Service : ( FedEx )

Slogans : ( Just Do It. )

Song or Album

Scripts : ( Movie, TV, Play )

Photographs

Need additional assistance?

Contact our experts with any additional questions.


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Frequently asked questions

Because copyrights are protected from the time the work is created and fixed in a tangible medium, you are entitled to use the © symbol from the time the work is fixed. However, the work is afforded greater protection once it is registered with the U.S. Copyright Office.

The duration of copyright protection recently changed as a result of the Sonny Bono Copyright Term Extension Act of 1998. The easiest rule to state is that copyrights have expired on all United States works registered or published prior to 1923. As a result, all such works have entered into the public domain.

After 1923, it is more complicated to determine when a copyright will expire. Like the old provisions, the duration of copyright protection under these new provisions depends upon when the work was created and first published.

Works Originally created on or after January 1, 1978: This is governed by statutory section 17 USC 302. According to this section, a work that is created (fixed in tangible form for the first time) on or after January 1, 1978 is ordinarily given a term enduring for the author's life, plus an additional 70 years after the author's death.

In the case of "a joint work" prepared by two or more authors that was not a "work made for hire," the term lasts for 70 years after the last surviving author's death. For works made for hire, and for anonymous and pseudonymous works (unless the author's identity is revealed in Copyright Office records), the duration of copyright will be 95 years from publication or 120 years from creation, whichever is shorter.

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