Graphic design copyright 101
Posted June 17th, 2009.
Any graphic designer knows the basic of intellectual property. To sum it up, any original ideas you move from your head to an actual medium, such as paper or webpage belong to you.
When it comes to the finer details however, unless you’ve really done your research, there are likely to be some grey areas.
Trademark, copyright and entertainment Lawyer Amy J. Everhart recently posted over at Design Sponge a fairly comprehensive explanation on the subject covering basic copyright, registering designs, notices, employee rights and fair use when it comes to sharing ideas.
As a designer, your designs are your lifeblood. Just as a jeweller keeps his jewels in a locked display case, you should safeguard your designs. I don’t mean the physical product embodying your designs, but the intangible right to them: the copyright.
Yet maybe because a copyright isn’t something you can see or touch, creators often neglect to safeguard it. An understanding of the copyright basics goes a long way toward protecting why you’re doing this in the first place: the art.
Amy has also been kind enough to write it simply enough that you wont need your own lawyer to explain it to you.
Simple!
If you’ve been looking for more on the subject without having to wade through pages of legal mumbo-jumbo, Amy’s post is an informative read.
