{"id":5004,"date":"2016-04-04T10:47:50","date_gmt":"2016-04-04T15:47:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/content.findlaw-admin.com\/ability-law\/smallbusiness\/intellectual-property\/notice-of-copyright.html"},"modified":"2024-05-22T03:01:14","modified_gmt":"2024-05-22T08:01:14","slug":"notice-of-copyright","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.findlaw.com\/smallbusiness\/intellectual-property\/notice-of-copyright.html","title":{"rendered":"Notice of Copyright"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Notice of Copyright<\/h1>\n
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\n By FindLaw Staff<\/a> | Legally reviewed by Amber Sheppard, Esq.<\/a>\n | Last updated\n
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Editorial Note: We earn a commission from affiliate partner links on FindLaw. Commissions do not affect the editorial integrity of our legal content.<\/p>\n\n <\/div>\n \n

\n \n <\/i>\n Legally Reviewed\n <\/summary>\n\n
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This article has been written and reviewed for legal accuracy, clarity, and style by FindLaw\u2019s team of legal writers and attorneys<\/a> and in accordance with our editorial standards<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n\n <\/div>\n <\/details>\n\n

\n \n <\/i>\n Fact-Checked\n <\/summary>\n\n
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The last updated date refers to the last time this article was reviewed by FindLaw or one of our contributing authors<\/a>. We make every effort to keep our articles updated. For information regarding a specific legal issue affecting you, please contact an attorney in your area<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n\n <\/div>\n <\/details>\n<\/section>\n

Copyright law helps small business owners have exclusive rights to their creative works. International intellectual property law<\/a> and U.S. copyright law give an owner of artistic works exclusive rights to their work. While you do not need a formal copyright registration, it is a wise decision for a start-up or established business to make.<\/p>\r\n

There are certain requirements for securing copyright protection for your original work. One of the requirements that helps protect your work is having a copyright notice on your work. This article explains a copyright notice, where it goes on copyrighted material, and how to enforce it.<\/p>\r\n

Types of Copyrighted Work<\/h2>\r\n

The Copyright Act <\/a>governs United States copyright law. This is federal law, so it governs the entire United States.<\/p>\r\n

First, to get intellectual property rights, the works you create must be original works of authorship. Plagiarism and copied works cannot gain protection. Next, the creative expression needs to be in a fixed, tangible form. You can hold, see, smell, or listen to tangible mediums. An example of this would be a short story written on paper or a painting on canvas.<\/p>\r\n

It must also fall within a certain category of works<\/a>, such as:<\/p>\r\n