Question:

What is a copyright?

Answer:

In the eyes of the law, a copyright is a new work of original authorship, fixed in a tangible medium.

Now Let’s Unpack This A Little Bit

Original work of authorship means that it is something you did not copy from somewhere else, and you thought of on your own. It has to be original and you have to be the author of that creative work. It is important to note that this creative work cannot be protected until it is fixed in a tangible medium. Some examples of copyright include scripts, different types of programming and code, websites, and designs on shirts.

It is also helpful to see copyright as a bundle of rights. With copyright ownership, you are able to give out various types of rights to what you already have protected. This includes giving out the rights to make derivative works, or the rights to make products and merchandise. There are also other things you can license for copyrights. Copyrights can be changed and if you do not give the rights for someone to go and change that, they can have permission by law under what is called “fair use” and make changes without your permission depending on how much they change and use.

To obtain a copyright, you have to file and register with the US Copyright Office. Once you are registered, you are protected throughout all 50 states and the protection lasts your lifetime plus 70 years.

To Wrap Things Up….

A copyright is an original work of authorship that is fixed in a tangible medium. It is different from a trademark and patent. More questions on copyrights? Check out some of our other videos related to copyrights on our channel, or reach out to us at bertie@inbetterwetrust.com. We’re happy to answer any questions!