The Female Entrepreneur Magazine January 2016 January 2016 | Page 12

January 2016

5. Simply Repeating Copyrights Does Not Satisfy the Law
There are many ways you can show something you created has been
copyrighted because how you show your work has a copyright is more a matter of
preference than U.S. law. Sometimes, authors also use the words “All Rights Reserved,”
or “All Intellectual Rights Reserved.” Neither is really necessary as a copyright already
indicates that your rights are protected.
But an author is not even required to show a copyright in order to be able to
assert their rights. For example, a signature on a painting is sufficient for the painter
to claim rights - the painter does not need to add anything further about copyrights to
the painting itself. Music is similar in that the songs you hear on the radio do not have
disclaimers read out loud each time a new song is played.
However, many authors do allow you to freely use their works without specific
permission. Some don't care and state that anyone can do anything without giving
credit, but some require you to show their copyright in a certain format as a condition
of use.
When using material from someone else, it is very important that you honor the
author's request as to how they want credit shown. If you do not accurately comply
with the instructions, and the use is authorized only if you give credit in a very
particular way, you could still be violating someone elses' copyrights.