What does copyright protect?
Copyright, a form of intellectual property law, protects original
works of authorship including literary, dramatic, musical, and
artistic works, such as poetry, novels, movies, songs, computer
software, and architecture. Copyright does not protect facts,
ideas, systems, or methods of operation, although it may protect
the way these things are expressed. See Circular 1, Copyright
Basics, section "What Works Are
Protected."
Can I copyright my website?
The original authorship appearing on a website may be protected by
copyright. This includes writings, artwork, photographs, and other
forms of authorship protected by copyright. Procedures for
registering the contents of a website may be found in Circular 66,
Copyright Registration for Online Works.
Can I copyright my domain name?
Copyright law does not protect domain names. The
Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN), a
nonprofit organization that has assumed the responsibility for
domain name system management, administers the assignation of
domain names through accredited registers.
How do I protect my recipe?
A mere listing of ingredients is not protected under copyright law.
However, where a recipe or formula is accompanied by substantial
literary expression in the form of an explanation or directions, or
when there is a collection of recipes as in a cookbook, there may
be a basis for copyright protection. Note that if you have secret
ingredients to a recipe that you do not wish to be revealed, you
should not submit your recipe for registration, because
applications and deposit copies are public records. See FL 122, Recipes.
Can I copyright the name of my band?
No. Names are not protected by copyright law. Some names may be
protected under trademark law. Contact the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office,
800-786-9199, for further information.
How do I copyright a name, title, slogan or
logo?
Copyright does not protect names, titles, slogans, or short
phrases. In some cases, these things may be protected as
trademarks. Contact the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office,
800-786-9199, for further information. However, copyright
protection may be available for logo artwork that contains
sufficient authorship. In some circumstances, an artistic logo may
also be protected as a trademark.
How do I protect my idea?
Copyright does not protect ideas, concepts, systems, or methods of
doing something. You may express your ideas in writing or drawings
and claim copyright in your description, but be aware that
copyright will not protect the idea itself as revealed in your
written or artistic work.
Does my work have to be published to be
protected?
Publication is not necessary for copyright protection.
Can I register a diary I found in my grandmother's
attic?
You can register copyright in the diary only if you own the rights
to the work, for example, by will or by inheritance. Copyright is
the right of the author of the work or the author's heirs or
assignees, not of the one who only owns or possesses the physical
work itself. See Circular 1, Copyright Basics,
section “Who Can Claim
Copyright.”
How do I protect my sighting of Elvis?
Copyright law does not protect sightings. However, copyright law
will protect your photo (or other depiction) of your sighting of
Elvis. File your claim to copyright online by means of the
electronic
Copyright Office (eCO). Pay the fee online and attach a copy of
your photo. Or, go to the Copyright Office website, fill in Form
CO, print it, and mail it together with your photo and fee. For
more information on registration a copyright, see SL-35. No one can
lawfully use your photo of your sighting, although someone else may
file his own photo of his sighting. Copyright law protects the
original photograph, not the subject of the photograph.
Does copyright protect architecture?
Yes. Architectural works became subject to copyright protection on
December 1, 1990. The copyright law defines “architectural work” as
“the design of a building embodied in any tangible medium of
expression, including a building, architectural plans, or
drawings.” Copyright protection extends to any architectural work
created on or after December 1, 1990. Also, any architectural works
that were unconstructed and embodied in unpublished plans or
drawings on that date and were constructed by December 31, 2002,
are eligible for protection. Architectural designs embodied in
buildings constructed prior to December 1, 1990, are not eligible
for copyright protection. See Circular 41,
Copyright Claims in Architectural Works
Can I get a star named after me and claim copyright to
it?
No. There is a lot of misunderstanding about this. Names are not
protected by copyright. Publishers of publications such as a star
registry may register a claim to copyright in the text of the
volume [or book] containing the names the registry has assigned to
stars, and perhaps the compilation of data; but such a registration
would not extend protection to any of the individual star names
appearing therein. Copyright registration of such a volume of star
names does not confer any official or governmental status on any of
the star names included in the volume. For further information on
copyright protection and names, see Circular 34,
Copyright Protection Not Available for Names, Titles,
or Short Phrases
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Notes by odie:
Copyright, a form of intellectual property law, protects original works of authorship including literary, dramatic, musical, and artistic works, such as poetry, novels, movies, songs, computer software, and architecture. Copyright does not protect facts,