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What are Copyrights?
Home » Entrepreneurship » Patents and Copyrights » What are Copyrights?Copyrights, similar—yet different from—patents, are in use to protect literary, artistic, and musical works. This protection is valid against dramatic works as well as certain other intellectual works, too, whether published or not, according to the Library of Congress Copyright Office (www.copyright.gov). Poetry, novels, music, movies, software, architecture, and other artistic works might apply. Copyrights give the owner of the copyright the exclusive right to reproduce the work, to prepare variations of the work, to distribute copies, to perform the work publicly, or to display the work publicly.
One important note: Copyrights protect the form of expression, not the subject matter discussed. That means that you can write a description of an item, and have it copyrighted, but you can’t keep other people from describing the same item—only from describing it as you did.
To protect your work, you don’t have to register with the copyright office to enjoy protection. Whenever you create your work, it is under copyright protection. However, if you want to bring a lawsuit for infringement of a work, you’ll have to register. The copyright office recommends that you register in case of litigation, to have your copyright on public record and have a certificate of registration, and to give you prima facie evidence, which means “at first sight,” in a court of law, if you register your work within five years of publication.
Related Patents and Copyrights Articles
- What are Patents?
- How do I know whether there’s already a Patent on something?
- How do I apply for a Patent?
- What are Copyrights?
- How long does a Copyright last?
- How do I apply for a Copyright?