Copyright basics for creatives

If you made it, you probably own it. That's the short version, and it's worth knowing the long version before you post, sell or license anything.

You own it as soon as it exists

In the United States, copyright protection starts automatically once an original work is fixed in a tangible form: a painting on canvas, a photo saved to your phone, a track bounced to a file, a design exported from your laptop. You don't have to file anything, add a symbol or ask permission for it to be yours.

What copyright covers is the expression, not the idea. Your mural is protected. The idea of painting a mural of your grandmother is not.

When registering is worth it

Registration with the U.S. Copyright Office is optional, but for U.S. works it's required before you can take an infringement case to court. If a piece is earning you money, if you're licensing it, or if it's the kind of work people copy (logos, prints, beats, photos), registering is cheap insurance. You can register online at copyright.gov.

Sharing without giving it away

Posting your work publicly doesn't hand over your rights. But a few habits help:

Put your name and the year on finished files and in image captions. Keep your original, full-size files and dated drafts; they're your proof. Share web-sized versions instead of full-resolution files. When someone asks to use your work, get it in writing: what they can use, where, for how long, and what you're paid.

Work for clients

If you're hired to make something, decide up front who owns what. Many creatives keep the copyright and grant the client a license to use the work for a specific purpose. If a client wants to own it outright, that's a bigger ask, and the price should reflect it. Put it in your contract either way.

Not legal advice

This is a starting point, not legal advice. For anything with real money or a dispute attached, talk to a lawyer. Many cities have volunteer lawyers for the arts programs that help creatives for free or at low cost.

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