OUGD502 - Session - Copyright

Copyright 

Stealing an idea can use the whole design or elements of the idea. 
The work you produce is already copyrighted. You do not have to register your work. You can assign the copyright over to someone but otherwise it is yours. Its best the keep a record of what you've created, when and where you've uploaded it.
If you create work in a company then the copyright is the companies not your own.
If you register a trademark it has to go through a company who do searches into whether it is already being used. Other companies are also allowed to see it to make sure another company isn't using it.
If you don't have a copyright symbol on your work it doesn't matter although its still best to do it.

You can charge for pitches then say that they get the money back if the client uses you.
Don't give ideas away for free.
Have a recorded instance of you creating the work.
To use fonts commercially you have to buy them.
You can only use your work once the copyright has expired or its put on the internet in the public domain, which is 70 years after the person has died or 75 - 90 years after its creation.

Limitations of copyright include:
Facts
Conceptual ideas not expressed in tangible form
Public domain
Expired items can be bought 

Reproduction Rights means you own the copyright and the rights to reproduce your work.

Including:
- What it is reproduced on 
On anything sold with your work applied
- International reproduction
- Indemnity from those who incur your legal costs e.g. someone is hurt from a product that your work is on 
- Bankruptcy of the users
All advance payments of work cancelled to be retained 
The right to have books audited on company failure
- No sub licensing of your work without your permission and fee 
- Retention of all original works (if agreed)

Licensing your work means someone can pay you a fee for your work each year to use your work. You can also limit the license and only let them have a single use rather than using it on a range of materials e.g. printed matter.

In licensing if you physically own the work it doesn't mean that they intellectually own it unless you have assigned it over to them.

If you are happy to assign the copyright you can at any time, however don't give it away unless you trust the client.

Copyright is usually international.
For music the same things apply however the symbol changes.

In the USA it is illegal to break copyright law.

Any thing that is bought for a client, don't sell it as cost you should put a percentage on it to make a profit because you are sourcing and finding the items. A minimum should be 20% as a basic rate.

Aaron Draplin : Show people what you love
Only include what you want and like in your portfolio