Learn How to Copyright Something

When an individual creates a work of their own it is important to understand the copyright laws that surround the work. The expression, images, or loose wording used to create the work are not protected against copyright laws. That being said, once the idea or expression becomes solidified or made into tangible form, the exact wording or imagery within the work becomes protected from replication and distribution. To properly protect oneself from thievery and the duplication of creative works, one must become familiar with the process required to copyright something.

The first step to copyrighting is creating a tangible form of your particular work or expression. For instance, if your work is a poem, make sure you write the poem on paper or print it from a computer. Once the work becomes tangible it, in essence, becomes protected under copyright laws. To copyright something, the creator must make the work tangible. Every creative piece or effort that was made tangible after April 1, 1989 is automatically protected in the United States under copyright law. All copyright symbols last 70 years from the time the work was documented and made tangible.

Just because the work was created does not necessarily mean it will be upheld or protected in a court system. If your work is copied and sold for a profit by another party, collecting damages or recouping the lost profits can be difficult without the registration of your work. To register a creative piece, contact the U.S. Copyright Office. This function awards the individual public notice. When registering the creator will be forced to pay a small fee and fill out basic information that asks basic questions regarding the use and creation of the piece.

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