How to Register a Copyright for a Digital Design Agency

Introduction

Copyright protection is a serious matter for designers. The truth is, even if you’re not making money from your designs, you should still protect them from being stolen by other people. Copyright law protects original works of authorship, including literary, dramatic and musical works; paintings, sculptures and graphic arts; sound recordings and films; as well as computer software. In short: Anything that can be fixed in a tangible form (e.g., text or an image on paper) can be copyrighted.

Step 1: Make Sure Your Work is Eligible for Copyright Protection

There are a few requirements you need to meet before your design can be registered with the U.S. Copyright Office:

• Your work must be original. This means that it was not copied from another source, but was created by you alone.
• Your work must be fixed in a tangible medium. In other words, it must be stored somewhere and not just floating around in your head. If you write something down on a piece of paper or save it on your computer as an image file (such as JPG or PNG), then this requirement is met.
• You cannot register a copyright for something that has been published previously since 1923 (with limited exceptions). Technically speaking, if someone else published your design before 1923 and there was no evidence that the publication took place before 1923 (i.e., there were no copies made of it), then those rights revert back to whatever creator that originally created those works after their death occurs until 120 years after their birth dies out completely, at which point anyone would then have full ownership over all products made during any time period between December 31st 1902 through December 31st 2000 inclusive until 2040.

Step 2: Complete a Copyright Application Form

Once you have decided to register a copyright for your digital design agency, it is important to include all of the relevant information on the application form.

• The title of your work: This should be a short description that identifies what you are registering as a work. For example, if you were registering a logo design called “The Company Logo” then this would be an appropriate title.
• The author(s) name(s): If there is more than one creator involved in creating your work then they should all be listed here by name. If only one person created it then this section should just have their name entered into it once only.
• The year and date of creation.

Step 3: Pay the Application Fee

After you’ve completed the form and uploaded the required documents, it’s time to pay your application fee. The fees range from $65 (for single works) to $85 (for multiple works), but they are non-refundable. You’ll also be responsible for any other costs related to filing and maintaining an application, like printing copies of your work or registering special editions of books or recordings. The Copyright Office will send you a receipt for your application fee within a few weeks. If you haven’t received it, contact the office and ask them to check their records.

Step 4: Submit your Work for Examination

The examiner will examine your work to make sure it meets the requirements for registration. The examiner will send you a certificate of registration if your work is accepted. If the examiner requires any changes, they’ll send you an email or letter explaining the changes they need and give you a deadline to make them.

When you receive your certificate of registration, keep it in safe storage so that you can use it later if needed. The examiner will also send copies of all documents related to your application (called “exhibits”) along with their invoice for payment of the application fee by check or money order payable to: Library of Congress Copyright Office”. The examiner will send you a certificate of registration if your work is accepted. If the examiner requires any changes, they’ll send you an email or letter explaining the changes they need and give you a deadline to make them. When you receive your certificate of registration, keep it in safe storage so that you can use it later if needed.

Conclusion

The steps to copyright registration are simple, but don’t underestimate the importance of doing them properly. Copyrighting your work protects you from having your ideas stolen and allows for legal action if someone uses your design without permission. By following these steps, you can register your designs with confidence knowing that they are protected.