The 411 on Copyright Law: What Business Owners, Creatives, and Entrepreneurs Need To Know

13 July 2021||Jenn McNeely||Branding,Intellectual Property,Small Business,Tips and Tricks

Welcome to the second chapter of the IP for Business Blueprint course. I’m Jenn McNeely with JWM Designs & Marketing, and in this lesson, I’m going to talk about copyright, what it is, what it protects, what things can be copyright protected, and the difference between a registered and unregistered copyright. This is the first video in the copyright chapter of my intellectual property course, and it is packed with a lot of information.

If your business creates or uses any original works of authorship such as songs, artwork, photography, videos, writing, or software, you need to understand your rights when it comes to your creative works and how to properly use other people’s creative materials in your business to avoid potential infringement. Knowledge of these things not only protects your business from people who may want to profit off of your hard work and good reputation, but it protects you from trampling over other people’s rights. This lesson will provide you with the foundation you need to understand your ownership rights in copyright.

Copyright protects original works of authorship, including literary, dramatic musical, and artistic works such as poetry, novels, movies, songs, computer software, choreography, sculptures, photography, website, graphics, architecture. To be clear, copyright does not protect against ideas and facts. It does protect the way in which those ideas and facts are expressed. When I say express, I mean that in order for copyright protection to attach to your creative work, it has to be affixed to a tangible medium like paper, a canvas, audio recording, or videotape. The protection is automatic the moment you express your original creative idea in a tangible medium. Similar to trademarks, you do not need to register your copyright in order for these protections to attach. By virtue of simply being created and affixed to a tangible medium, you are now the proud owner of the copyright. Congratulations!

What You Can Expect: Each week I will post a new chapter on my blog and my YouTube Channel. Be sure to download the e-notebook for this course. It is packed with so much information and with space for you to take notes.

Link to e-notebook: https://bit.ly/2SIufR8

Jenn McNeely

Since I can remember, I have always enjoyed challenging myself to never be confined to one industry or career. Stepping out of my comfort zone and pushing myself to learn new skills has been a staple of my personality and my approach to life. My absolute favorite part of what I do is interacting with new people and learning more about their businesses and interests.

I help clients do more than set up a website. I help them launch their businesses. I am there for my clients before, during, and after the launch to be a resource to them. My goal is for my clients to see a return on their investment of time and financial resources. It is not enough for me to create a beautiful website for my clients. My costs are directly related to what I believe it will take to reach my client’s goals. This may mean that companies like [insert low-cost company name here] will undercut me with lower prices, but I’m okay with that. Often times their fees eventually surpass mine once you add in all the elements that I provide wholesale.

Growing your online presence from scratch takes time but when done correctly will generate great returns. I am a firm believer in transparency with my clients and want them to truly understand what it means to work with me. So, here’s to trusting the process and taking client’s businesses to the next level.