Today’s Tip
Best Practice: Protect your brand with the content created to promote the brand with a copyright © symbol.
Today’s Article: Protect Your Brand with a Copyright
Your brand is one of your most valuable business assets. It distinguishes your company or product in the marketplace. Once the brand is established it is important to protect it. Protect your brand’s promotional content with a copyright © symbol.
What is copyright?
“Copyright is a form of protection grounded in the U.S. Constitution and granted by law for original works of authorship fixed in a tangible medium of expression. Copyright covers both published and unpublished works.”
What does copyright protect?
“Copyright protects original works of authorship including literary, dramatic, musical, and artistic works, such as poetry, novels, movies, songs, computer software, and architecture. Copyright does not protect facts, ideas, systems, or methods of operation, although it may protect the way these things are expressed.”
How is a copyright different from a patent or a trademark?
“Copyright protects original works of authorship, while a patent protects inventions or discoveries. Ideas and discoveries are not protected by the copyright law, although the way in which they are expressed may be. A trademark protects words, phrases, symbols, or designs identifying the source of the goods or services of one party and distinguishing them from those of others.”
When is my work protected?
“Your work is under copyright protection the moment it is created and fixed in a tangible form that it is perceptible either directly or with the aid of a machine or device.”
On your marketing materials: website, brochure, rack card, social media, etc., that promote your brand, protect it by using the © symbol, including the first year of publication of the copyrighted work and identification of the owner of the copyright.
Example: © 2014 Brand Door company, all rights reserved
Action Step: Protect your marketing material with a © symbol.
List the brand marketing materials you will copyright: business card, website, social media, rack card, brochure, catalog, blog, eBook, white paper, etc.
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Your brand is your handle. The handle that opens the door to your business, its products and services. Brand Door is always open to you. “Easy access to expert branding”
