Copyright Rules & Procedures
Copyright laws may seem confusing to many artists and people who want to use copyrighted material. In fact, copyright rules and procedures are actually quite simple.
Other People Are Reading
-
Copyright Protection is Automatic
-
A creator has copyright protection as soon as he sets his vision down in a particular creative expression. So as soon as a singer records a song or a writer writes a paragraph of his novel, he has copyright in that creative expression.
You Do Not Have to Register Your Work
-
Creators do not have to register their works to have copyright protection. But if they do not register and someone uses their work improperly (that is, without obtaining permission as stated in a notice attached to the work), creators will have to register the works before they can file a lawsuit.
-
Registration Simply Gives You More Legal Remedies
-
Registering your copyrighted work enables you to sue someone for infringement and ask for certain additional money damages when you do sue. It also serves as prima facie evidence in the lawsuit that you own the copyright and also enables the U.S. Customs Department to track your material.
You May Have to File Copies with U.S. Copyright Office
-
If you publish your work to the public, you will have to file two copies of what you published with the U.S. Copyright Office. This is separate from any decision you make to register your copyright.
How Long Copyright Lasts
-
If you are the creator, copyright lasts for your lifetime plus 70 years. If you register a work you hired someone else to create, you have copyright for 120 years after they created it or 95 years after you published it.
-
