What You Should and Shouldn't Do When Establishing a Copyright

The Copyrights and Wrongs of Protecting Your Property

While many assert that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, intellectual property law has other opinions. When creating any work, you must take precautionary steps to check and ensure your idea doesn’t already exist under any copyright protections. While this can initially appear restrictive, the protection of copyrights can be better appreciated once you establish a copyright of your own. When the time comes to protect your own creation, be sure to keep these dos and don’ts in mind.

The Don’ts of Copyrighting

• Assume copyright infringement will go unnoticed
• Assume that crediting the original work means you are free to use the material
• Change miniscule portions of a body of work while replicating the core idea
• Edit material to remove the copyright or trademark symbols and believe it’s fair use
• Make assumptions regarding the use of copyrighted material
• Think that material isn’t copyrighted because the symbol isn’t clearly presented

The Dos of Copyrighting

• Ask for permission before using existing media as part of your work
• Be vigilant in your research for ideas similar or tangent to yours
• Credit sources when necessary
• Embrace the media available in the public domain while still giving the appropriate citation
• Understand what cannot be copyrighted, such as facts or simple shapes

Finally, do contact our legal team for professional assistance with any copyright or intellectual property concerns or questions you run into. Scaringi Law remains available and eager to help clients protect their property and pursue a prosperous, creative career.