7 replies
Trying to find links to the actual copyrighting process for an idea...
#copyright #info
  • I am no lawyer. But from what I understand in the music and writing business is that when you have actually penned the idea (written it down) you automatically become the copyright owner. Even if no copyright notice is displayed.

    However to copyright an idea I am not even sure if that is possible. I hope some one with more knowledge than I in this area responds.

    Ben
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  • Profile picture of the author SageSound
    I dunno if it will help, but I posted this thread earlier that just seemed to be ignored by everybody.

    http://www.warriorforum.com/main-int...opyrights.html

    -David
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  • Profile picture of the author sbucciarel
    Banned
    No ... you can't copyright an idea. You can put your idea in an ebook and the ebook will be copyrighted. If the idea is in the line of an "invention" type of idea, you would have to patent it to protect it.
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  • Profile picture of the author Kierkegaard
    Copyright only applied to the written word. It only applies to the words you have written in the order you wrote them. The idea expressed in these words is not protected. Imagine you discover a way to get a site to the top of Google in 10mins and you write an ebook explaining how it's done which you sell for $100. The second you create it, it is automatically copyrighted. This means someone can not pass it off as their own work (and sell it for $99 stealing all your customers). However, copyright won't protect you from someone buying it and then re-writing it. The idea was yours but the words are theirs. If they don't credit you as the source of the idea then this is plagiarism (but although it can destroy an author's reputation or get you kicked out of university, it isn't as far as I know illegal).

    If your idea is for some kind of new gadget then you would need to get it patented but this is a costly process.

    Bear in mind that even though you are protected by copyright laws it would be a very costly process to track down and stop people infringing your copyright.
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    • Originally Posted by Kierkegaard View Post


      Bear in mind that even though you are protected by copyright laws it would be a very costly process to track down and stop people infringing your copyright.
      Speaking from someone who has a number of patents. The entire patent process is extremely expensive if you want to do it right. Even then it only applies to country's that actually enforce patent laws.

      If you get molds and your products produced in China or Korea expect to get ripped off and see a knock off version of you product being produced. Yes they will sign non disclosure agreements and the like with you. But they don't mean squat if they cannot be enforced.

      Just talking from personal experience.

      Ben
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