Patent/copyright questions
 

If I come up w/ slogans/images, what do I have to do exactly to copyright them so that no one steals the ideas?

Nothing whatsoever.

any peiece or original work is automatically copyrighted the second it is created :thumbsup

You can't ever prevent theft.. But with anything you create, you own the copyright the second it's complete. If you want the ability to go for higher damages if someone DOES steal your idea, you can file a copyright with the copyright office. Not sure where you would do that local to you, but if you contact a copyright lawyer I 'm sure they can tell you. Be warned, filing copyrights is neither simple NOR cheap.


As I say though you do technically own the copyright to any work of art as soon as it's complete. Filing a copyright will simple make it easier to collect infringement damages in court.

Patents are another matter entirely.

What about slogans though?

How can I prove I came up with it?

If I make t-shirts w/ slogans, what's stopping others from copying me and saying they came up w/ it on their own?

Burn everything to TWO cd's...seal them in their own envelopes and mail them to yourself... mark on the back what each contains... also ask the postal guy to stamp the flap of them both with ANY sort of stamp...

Now if you ever need to, you have a copy on a cd for your attorney to open and verify that the original is yours AND one for the court to unseal as well. ;-)

As stated above a common law copyright is the US exists upon creation. The value of this copyright is limited if you go to enforce it. You should register the copyright with the Copyright Office, if it is registered then statutory damages apply if infringment can be proven.

http://www.copyright.gov/