Copyright Protection for Your Small Online Business

When my first online articles were stolen verbatim and posted on other websites so someone else could make money off of my stolen work, I knew my small online business needed copyright protection. But what would this entail? And did my small business qualify for copyright protection? Here's what I found out.

Copyright Is Automatic

All original online content is inherently copyrighted by law. This means that any theft of material from your website, blog or online articles constitutes a violation of your copyright. This holds true whether you file a copyright application or not.

The Benefits of Copyright Registration

If intellectual property rights cover your original work automatically, why should you go to the trouble and expense of copyrighting your website, blog or articles? Because copyright registration creates a public record of ownership. This forms a legal foundation for prosecuting anyone who infringes on your rights. Not only can you seek damages for lost revenue, but reimbursement of all legal fees.

Website Patent

Patent law does not cover web-based business concepts and is, therefore, an ineffective way of copyrighting your website. The stated logic for this is that if I filed for a patent for my home improvement web site, this would ban all future online businesses from creating a similar website. This said, if your website promotes a product you invented, you may file a patent to protect that unique product idea from being stolen.

Website Trademark

Trademarks offer a viable option for copyrighting your small online business. Though unable to protect your actual web content, a trademark will cover any words, symbols, sounds or colors that distinguish your business from others. This is typically achieved with a logo or brand name. Then your website itself will be protected against copyright infringement by someone who impersonates your unique web presence. File a trademark application for your small online business.

Website Copyright

For a small online business that authors original articles, music, images or videos, copyright protection is essential. The trouble is that you cannot copyright an entire website; rather, you must copyright each item separately. This can become a costly and time-consuming process. What's known as the "poor man's copyright" may offer a better alternative. By mailing a copy of the work to yourself and leaving it in a sealed, postmarked envelope, you will be able to substantiate original ownership in the event of litigation. However this does not establish a public record of ownership, which is why filing a copyright application is more legally bullet-proof.

Selective Copyright

Copyright protection for a small online business is best achieved by combining trademark protection with selective copyright. By creating a logo for your website, you will grant it a unique presence on the web that can be protected by trademark law. By copyrighting only your most successful online publications, you will protect your highest revenue sources without becoming a slave to the copyright filing process.


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References:

SBA.gov Blog: Understanding Intellectual Property Law and How it can Protect Your Online Business

SBA.gov: Patents, Trademarks and Copyrights