# Article: Copyright Online



## Jasonda (Aug 16, 2006)

Check it out:

Copyright Office discovers web forms, online submissions

Now you can register your copyrights online, and get $10 off ($35 instead of $45).

Just go to U.S. Copyright Office and click on the big "e" button.


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## CUSTOM UK (Jun 28, 2008)

*This posting brings up an interesting question. *

*Let's assume someone registers a design with the US Copyright Office. How do they know, that the design hasn't actually been copied off someone else? *

*Also would registering of the design be covered by International copyright? It could be that a virtually similar design already exists in another country.  *


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## Naga (Mar 11, 2008)

The copyright is effective from the moment something is made first. I.e. if you can prove you came first, the copyright is yours.
The registration is just an aid in proving who came first. The registration is not a bullitproof evidence that you came first.

A few years ago Kimberley-Clark settled a case with Roger Penrose, as they had used a pentagram tiling, which was discovered by Roger Penrose around 1960, on toilet paper. Roger Penrose did not want his tiling humiliated by letting peoples arses be wiped with it, so he stopped Kimberley-Clark from using it.

Kimberley-Clark did not know that the same tiling was used by muslim architects hundreds of years ago, and Roger Penrose would have no chance in court against them if this fact had been known. With or without registration.

No registration would be sufficient to invalidate the original design/copyright, as it could be clearly proved it was older.


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## Jasonda (Aug 16, 2006)

DREAMGLASS said:


> *Also would registering of the design be covered by International copyright? It could be that a virtually similar design already exists in another country.  *


It's a little complicated.. read this:

http://www.copyright.gov/circs/circ1.pdf

Page 2.

Most forum members here do not have all the answers about copyright (and most of the answers are not simple) so it is best to research for yourself a little.


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## CUSTOM UK (Jun 28, 2008)

*I get the distinct impression, that even lawyers would struggle on some copyright issues.  *

*With the advent of the Internet, many of us now have the opportunity to trade on a world platform. Although the concept of world copyright exists, the way it is implemented and enforced varies dramatically from country to country.*


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## anonimol (May 7, 2008)

Is U.S. Copyright Office the same office as USPTO?Copyrights
The uspto has a lot of information about copyrights. And A LOT of other informations... Some time ago I got a headache from reading about patents there...


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## Solmu (Aug 15, 2005)

anonimol said:


> Is U.S. Copyright Office the same office as USPTO?Copyrights


copyright.gov = US Copyright Office
uspto.gov = US Patent and Trademark Office

Similar areas, but as far as I know two separate offices, covering the three main areas of intellectual property between the two of them.


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## theCount (Sep 23, 2008)

Jasonda said:


> Check it out:
> 
> Copyright Office discovers web forms, online submissions
> 
> ...


As far as copyright goes there is also the Creative Commons licensing at creativecommons.org this is not only a good alternative because it is free, but it also allows you to "Protect" your work internationally. I use CC licenses for designs posted around the various websites I submit to, or for stuff on my Blog and deviantArt Gallery. CC offers a legally valid copyright and licensing, and that is better than nothing when fighting plagiarism. International Trademarks and Copyrights involve a lot of Lawyers time and that is always expensive. For the small business or one man show a creative commons license is a viable alternative.


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## CUSTOM UK (Jun 28, 2008)

theCount said:


> As far as copyright goes there is also the Creative Commons licensing at creativecommons.org this is not only a good alternative because it is free, but it also allows you to "Protect" your work internationally. .


The thought of protecting your work internationally is a nice concept, but it is the reality of *implementing* and *enforcing* international copyright that is the real problem.

You can never be totally certain that your work does not already exist in another country. This is particularly so of something as simplistic as a tee shirt design. You may be registering copyright for something that another person has legal claim to, if their design pre-dates yours.

If your work is being copied in another country, you may find enforcing that copyright is not that straightforward. This is especially so if the 'offender' has friends and family that claim *you* are stealing *their* copyright. Going to another country and making claims of theft against one of its citizens, doesn't always yield the required result.


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