We are independent & ad-supported. We may earn a commission for purchases made through our links.
Advertiser Disclosure
Our website is an independent, advertising-supported platform. We provide our content free of charge to our readers, and to keep it that way, we rely on revenue generated through advertisements and affiliate partnerships. This means that when you click on certain links on our site and make a purchase, we may earn a commission. Learn more.
How We Make Money
We sustain our operations through affiliate commissions and advertising. If you click on an affiliate link and make a purchase, we may receive a commission from the merchant at no additional cost to you. We also display advertisements on our website, which help generate revenue to support our work and keep our content free for readers. Our editorial team operates independently of our advertising and affiliate partnerships to ensure that our content remains unbiased and focused on providing you with the best information and recommendations based on thorough research and honest evaluations. To remain transparent, we’ve provided a list of our current affiliate partners here.
Law

Our Promise to you

Founded in 2002, our company has been a trusted resource for readers seeking informative and engaging content. Our dedication to quality remains unwavering—and will never change. We follow a strict editorial policy, ensuring that our content is authored by highly qualified professionals and edited by subject matter experts. This guarantees that everything we publish is objective, accurate, and trustworthy.

Over the years, we've refined our approach to cover a wide range of topics, providing readers with reliable and practical advice to enhance their knowledge and skills. That's why millions of readers turn to us each year. Join us in celebrating the joy of learning, guided by standards you can trust.

How do I Copyright Intellectual Property?

By G. Wiesen
Updated: May 17, 2024
Views: 2,916
Share

Quite simply, you can copyright intellectual property simply by creating it in some tangible and real form. You cannot copyright an idea in your head, so to have copyright protection for an intellectual property you have to make that concept real and more than simply an idea. This means that you have to create something, by writing down a story, filming a movie, recording or writing down a piece of music, or otherwise making your creative work a reality in order to copyright it. Although you can copyright intellectual property simply by creating it, you may wish to register a copyright in order to gain greater legal protection for your work.

There is a fairly common misconception regarding the creation of a copyright and how an intellectual property can be protected by copyright. Many people believe that to copyright intellectual property, the creation must be registered or otherwise presented to some government agency. International copyright law, however, dictates that you copyright intellectual property at the moment that you create your work. All you have to do to establish a copyright on a work of art or similar intellectual property is make it real in a tangible form.

You do not even need to include a copyright mark to copyright intellectual property that you create, though this is often recommended. By including a mark such as © with the date and your name as copyright holder, you can indicate to others that your work is under protection as an original intellectual property. Legally, you do not have to do this, but it can make it easier to later prove something was used without permission; without this mark, others can potentially claim ignorance to copyright protection on your work. Once you copyright intellectual property you have created, simply by creating it, you may also want to register your copyright for further protection.

Though you copyright intellectual property the moment you create it, you may find it difficult to later prove the date when you created that work. This can be important in legal situations that may arise regarding a work that is derivative of something you have created. You can typically register your copyright with a government or private agency that will accept a copy of your work and indicate the date on which you registered the copyright. In the US, you can register a copyright with the US Copyright Office, though in other countries you may need to register with a private company rather than a government agency.

Share
WiseGeek is dedicated to providing accurate and trustworthy information. We carefully select reputable sources and employ a rigorous fact-checking process to maintain the highest standards. To learn more about our commitment to accuracy, read our editorial process.

Editors' Picks

Discussion Comments
Share
https://www.wisegeek.net/how-do-i-copyright-intellectual-property.htm
Copy this link
WiseGeek, in your inbox

Our latest articles, guides, and more, delivered daily.

WiseGeek, in your inbox

Our latest articles, guides, and more, delivered daily.