Do I Need to Copyright my Website?

When you open websites you have probably seen some copyright phrases like “All Rights Reserved” or “Copyright Symbol” and a date at the below of the website. But, what the actual means of these phrases? These phrases represent that the content of the website is copyrighted means original and third parties are prohibited to use it. In the event, if they utilize the content without taking the permission of website owner, then the owner has copyrights to take an action against them legally.

Accusation of copyright infringement involving websites are very common; third parties are not only copying the content of the website but also selling the content at higher prices. To protect your original work from the infringement act, it is vital to do website copyright registration.

What copyright registration do for your website?

Copyright protects your original work including content, graphics, sound recording, photographs, software codes, and audio-visual elements of the websites. To be copyrightable website meet with below-mentioned eligibility criteria;

• Website content must be original work of owner- A website owner has to show some creative work on his/her website. He/she cannot copy the domain name and title of a website.

• The material website owner is posted must be fixed in some sort of tangible time which enables to reproduce, distribute or communicate. A website owner cannot copy the method of operation, idea, and procedures of the website.

How can I copyright a website?

Original work is copyrighted from the moment of creation, provided the fixed and tangible form. Now you are wondering what does fixed and tangible form means? Understand this with these examples. Written something on paper, computer program saved on a drive, sound recorded, documented or assets that have a physical form. The work has not been fixed in a tangible form of expression for choreographic works that have not been noted and recorded.

Copyright protects only original work that can be literacy, musical works, dramatic works, pictorial, graphics, motion pictures, and sound recording of the website. In the past, the only people who have worry about copyright infringement were poet, writer, painters, and lyricists. Now, everyone who is creating original work has to do copyright registration. Keep in mind, don’t let anyone take the credibility of your original work. Most importantly, you cannot sue someone for copyright infringement, unless you have registered your copyright.

To take one step further- you have to do copyright registration. Registering your work always shows that your work is original and protected. You can either register online or offline. Keep in mind, the fee of copyright registration is non-refundable. The deposit the entire work of your website, which can be uploaded and sent via CD. There is one thing to understand, the registered copyright only extends to the works included in the deposit. After submitting work, you update your website, in order to protect new work you need to new website copyright registration again. If the copyright register finds everything is original then you will get copyright protection for your website. And you can upload and share your work in the public without any worry about infringement.

Who owns copyrighted material?

Mostly website owner owns copyrighted material. In the event, if he hires someone to create a material like an employee/employer relationship than it comes under the joint- copyright authorship. If you are freelancer, consultant and hired for creation of website work and that case freelancer is an owner, unless you have work on hire agreement with the client that grants the ownership of work. He’s is an independent worker who no writes to own your content after the agreement with him that gives your company an exclusive license to use it or you can do work and hire agreement.

How to protect the domain name?

Be sure you are not only to protect website content, graphics, and images, but also domain name. A domain is a unique identifier on the internet so it must be protected from the third parties. If you want to protect your domain name from infringers, you have to buy a domain name from the sophisticated domain services and also buy some all of the most common extensions then forwarded to your main domain name.

Special Rules for website copyright protection:

• Keep in mind, before going for website copyright protection, check whether your website material is copyrightable or not. The copyrightable material must be fixed and tangible medium of expression.

• After submitting website copyrightable material at the copyright office. If you upload new content in the website, to protect them, you have to do new website copyright registration.

• If you developed computer codes in HTML for creating graphics and texts. After developing computer programs when a website is viewed on the computer screen, you can register a copyright in the computer program, but the registration will not cover the content of the website.

• Website as a whole is not subjected to copyright protection. Like further plans, layout, concepts, principles, discoveries and ideas come in the category of non-copyrightable.

How to stay out of the trouble from copyright infringement?

• If someone notices his/her content on your website, delete it immediately.

• Always share and upload original content with a proud.

• Do not use any breaches in your website that harm the visitor's systems.

• If someone complains about the unauthorized use of his material, investigate the claim quickly and seek out from the copyright evidence to save oneself from the copyright infringement.

Final say:

I hope, now you understand why website copyright registration is important. It not only protect your original work but also saves your work from the unauthorized uses. If you are seeking for the website copyright registration and want hassle-free registration, it is advisable to take help of website registration consultants. Who can help you regarding the registration process and perform all the formalities on your behalf. Sometimes there might be a chance of rejection. In case, if you don’t have knowledge about website copyright laws, it is very difficult for you to handle the website copyright rejection. But, if you have a legal advisor he can navigate all the issues effortlessly.