How to Register a Copyright for Transportation

Introduction

Copyright is a federal law that grants you the exclusive right to use and reproduce literary, artistic, or musical works. It’s also known as intellectual property rights. Copyright registration is different from patent registration because it extends only to non-utilitarian items such as books, songs, and movies. However, both protect original works of authorship with no requirement for public disclosure prior to filing an application.

Transportation

The word “transportation” is defined as the act or process of transporting people and goods from one place to another, such as by air, land or water.

Copyright Definition

A copyright is a form of protection provided by the laws of the United States to the authors of “original works of authorship,” including literary, dramatic, musical, artistic, and certain other intellectual works. This protection is available to both published and unpublished works. The owner may be an individual or company. Copyrights are enforced through civil law (tort), and not criminal law, although federal criminal prosecution can occur under certain circumstances.

Copyright protects original works from being copied by others without permission from its owners. For example, if you write a book in your own words about how to make ice cream sundaes (and give it away for free) then someone else could write their own book on how to make ice cream sundaes but they cannot copy your work word-for-word because that would be stealing.

Benefits

Registering a copyright for your work will protect it from infringement and allow you to sue for infringement. You can also license or transfer the copyright at any time, giving you the ability to sell your work or allow others to do so in their own works.

Business Considerations

If you are a business owner, copyright can be an effective way to protect your work and make money off of it. You can register a transportation design with the United States Copyright Office for a fee (either online or via mail). When you register a copyright for transportation, it means that any infringing use of your work will be in violation of both state and federal law.

You also have the option of not registering with the USCO if you are not able to afford it or simply don’t want to pay their fees at this time. However, if you choose this route then be aware that you are still allowed under federal law to sue people who use your designs without permission or payment—although there may be some additional steps involved in bringing such claims against someone who does not respect your rights. You may also find that having proof of ownership through registration helps when negotiating licensing agreements with companies seeking access to your designs during negotiations (for example).

How to Register a Copyright

Copyright registrations can be filed online, by mail or by fax. The Copyright Office offers several options for filing a copyright application:

• Online Copyright Office Service
• Mail-in paper form CO Application forms with the appropriate fee payment, either through the mail or in person at a designated depositary bank
• Faxed paper copies of application forms with appropriate fee payment to the Copyright Office.

The process for copyright registration is quite simple. You can do it yourself, through the U.S. Copyright Office’s website (www.copyright.gov). You’ll need to fill out an application form, provide some basic information about your work and its authorship.

You’ll also need to provide two copies of the work you want to register. One copy will go to the Copyright Office and one will be returned to you with a certificate of registration.

You must also pay a fee, which is $10 for an online application and $65 for a paper application.

Takeaway

Copyright laws are designed to protect the lifetime financial interests of an artist, author or creator. The purpose of copyright registration is to provide public notice about the existence of a particular work and its ownership. Once a copyright is registered with the U.S. Copyright Office, any person who reproduces the work without permission can be held liable for infringement in federal court by that owner.

Copyright symbols are used to alert others that your work is protected by law — either by copyright or trademark law. They symbolize an international property rights standard recognized around the world as an indicator of authenticity: © (for work produced after 1978) and Ⓟ (for pre-1978 works).

Conclusion

Transportation is a field that requires a lot of planning and preparation. In order to save time and money and make sure everything goes smoothly, you need to register your copyright before releasing it.