What copyright is
Copyright protects original creative works: writing, photographs, drawings, music, films, software and similar. It protects the work itself, not the name or sign that identifies a business. That is the job of a trademark, and a logo can be protected by both.
In most countries copyright arises when the work is created, and no registration is needed. Some countries nevertheless keep a register, and registering can be useful there.
Why register where a register exists
A registration puts the facts of your claim on a public record and gives you a certificate. It can also matter in a dispute. In the United States, for example, registration is needed before you can sue over infringement of a US work, and a registered work may be eligible for statutory damages and attorney’s fees. Other countries have different rules, and in some a registration has no special effect.
Source for the US position: US Copyright Office, general questions.
What is included
- Telling you whether the country keeps a register and what registration gives you there
- Advice on who is named as author and as owner
- Preparing and filing the application, and paying the official fee
- Following the application and sending you the certificate when it is issued
How it works
- Tell us about the workWhat it is, who created it, when it was first published or shown, and the country you care about.
- We check the registerWe tell you whether the country keeps one and what it offers, before we quote.
- QuoteOur fee and the official fee are shown separately.
- We fileAfter you approve the quote and pay, we file the application.
- CertificateWe send you the certificate or other proof when the office issues it.
A registration records your claim to a work. It does not make you the owner of something you did not create or acquire. If a freelancer, a co-author or an employer may have rights in the work, tell us at the start.
Common questions
Do I have to register a work to have copyright?
Usually not. In most countries copyright arises when the work is created, without any registration. Registration is a separate step that some countries offer. We tell you whether the country you care about has a register and what it gives you before we quote.
Is copyright the same as a trademark?
No. Copyright protects a creative work, such as a text, a photograph, a drawing, a piece of music or software. A trademark protects a name or sign that identifies the goods or services of a business. A logo can be both. See trademark registration.
Why register, if protection is automatic?
A register gives you a public record and, in some countries, a certificate and procedural advantages. In the United States, for example, registration is needed before you can sue over infringement of a US work, and registered works may be eligible for statutory damages and attorney's fees. Other countries differ.
Which countries can you register in?
Tell us the country. Some keep a copyright register and some do not. If there is none, we say so and do not sell you a filing that does nothing.
Can you register a product's shape or look?
That is usually a design rather than a copyright question, and the two can sometimes be used together. Write to us and we will look at which fits.
What does it cost?
The quote shows our fee and the official fee separately. Nothing is filed or charged without your approval. See Prices.
