What Should I Copyright? Fortunately, we have a simple analysis we like to employ to determine whether something should be registered.
What is a Copyright?
A copyright is a type of intellectual property that protects from the unauthorized use of creative content. Your creative content can range from a logo to series of videos. It all depends on how you classify a singular work. We’ve discussed copyrights in many of our previous blogs. You can copyright anything unique that you create. For example, you can even copyright a dance move. It just needs to be in a tangible medium and unique to you.
Cost
Common law copyrights cost you nothing. However, they provide you with fewer protections against unauthorized use than registered ones. Conversely, Registered Copyrights cost between $26 and $55 dollars for each single piece of content. If you’re filing a separate copyright for each blog post, you could see a cost of $26 per blog. A registration will also cost you your time. Although the application is fairly simple, it can still take upwards of a half hour to complete. Our blog on registering copyrights is very useful!
What Should I Copyright?
On the other hand, you probably don’t want to register everything that is able to be registered. Therefore, you should do a cost-benefit analysis before registering any copyright. The primary downside to registration is the cost. The other downside is the additional time and cost to transferring ownership of this copyright. For example, if you write a piece of software, you can register that software. However, if you want to sell the ownership of the software, you will have to file to transfer it. This adds cost. The primary benefit of having a registered copyright is the damages you can be awarded. Violators can end up owing you $30,000 or more plus attorney fees per violation. You also receive the presumption of being the original author. This original authorship can be invaluable.
If you’d like help filing or defending your intellectual property, please feel free to contact us using the form below. Additionally, we can be reached by email at info@lawplusplus.com or by calling 919-912-9640.