What Is the Concept of Copyright?
The definition of copyright is the protective right that a creator holds for a body of work that they produce. This can include video clips, a specific plot element, or an audio track. If you want to use someone else’s work, you have to obtain permission otherwise you will be liable for damages. Copyright starts to exist the moment something is created, which means you do not need to register your work in order to establish ownership of it. When you take the steps to register it, it just proves you are the owner and makes litigation easier since it’s then archived as public record. You can have artwork officially registered with the United State Copyright Office for $35. You can also register it through an attorney. For other organizations and screenwriters, the Writer’s Guild of America offers their registration services that are archived and renewable for five year periods. The overall idea is to respect the property of other people, then choose how to protect your property.
Copyright Protection Does Have Limitations
Although it may seem that having copyright protection will protect you fully, there are some limitations. For instance, it does not safeguard you against broad genres. There is nothing preventing someone else or even you from coming up with the next film about a love triangle, for example. It can be about the subject matter, but it cannot directly follow the specific plot line or monologue of an older movie about the same subject. If you take the exact same idea, you are asking for a lot of trouble. It’s always best to be original; it will keep you out of court and save you a lot of unnecessary expenses in the long run.