Copyright
Protection
FAQs

You can copyright 'original works of authorship' fixed in a tangible medium. This includes books, articles, music, lyrics, photographs, paintings, sculptures, software code, architectural drawings, and even blog posts.

We do not copyright ideas, names, slogans, or short phrases (those are for trademarks). We also don't copyright functional inventions or processes (those are for patents). We focus on creative and literary works.

While you have automatic protection when you create a work, registration is required if you want to sue for infringement in court. Registration also allows you to claim 'statutory damages' and attorney fees, which can be significantly higher than actual damages.

Statutory damages are pre-determined amounts set by law that can be awarded to a copyright holder without requiring proof of actual financial loss. These can range from $750 to $30,000 per work, or up to $150,000 if the infringement was willful.

Copyright infringement occurs when someone exercises any of the exclusive rights of a copyright owner (like copying, distributing, or displaying a work) without permission. This usually involves showing that the infringer had access to the work and that their work is 'substantially similar' to yours.

For works created by an individual, copyright lasts for the author's entire life plus another 70 years. For works-made-for-hire (businesses), it lasts for 95 years from publication or 120 years from creation, whichever is shorter.

You can copyright the specific text, images, and custom code on your website. This protects your unique content from being stolen by competitors who want to use your marketing copy or graphics for their own benefit.

The United States is a member of the Berne Convention, which means that U.S. copyright registrations are recognized and protected in over 170 countries worldwide.

Fair use is a legal doctrine that allows limited use of copyrighted material without permission for purposes like criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, or research. Whether a use is 'fair' depends on the purpose, the nature of the work, and the effect on the work's market value.

Electronic filing with the U.S. Copyright Office typically takes between 3 to 9 months to process, though you receive a effective date of registration as of the day you submitted the application.