More and more people have started authoring blogs and posting them on the internet. In today’s world, however, a couple of clicks and others may easily copy that work. Copyrights provide protection for this type of intellectual property.
In order to safeguard their work, it benefits blog authors to have an understanding of copyrights.
What do copyrights protect?
According to the U.S. Copyright Office, copyright protections extend to original and fixed works. The intellectual property safeguard grants owners the exclusive right to reproduce or distribute the work, perform or display the piece publicly, and grant these rights to others.
How long do copyrights last?
The duration of this intellectual property safeguard depends on several factors. For posts produced after January 1, 1978, the protection extends for the author’s lifetime plus 70 years after his or her death. Copyrights for posts created anonymously or pseudonymously for hire last the shorter of 120 years from the blog’s creation or 95 years from its publication.
Do authors have to register their works?
According to the U.S. Copyright Office, blog post authors do not have to register their works to receive copyright protection. Rather, such works receive this safeguarding from their creation and establishment into tangible form. With the registration of copyrights, however, authors have the right to seek damages for unauthorized use or reproduction of their blogs.
Blog posting allows people an avenue for creative expression that may reach sizeable audiences. With that, however, comes the potential that others will attempt to use such works as their own. When creating posts, then, authors may consider their options for protecting their intellectual property.