I am about to print a 96 page catalog.  It is mostly stock product
fotos but has alot of original text and most importantly, artwork.  
My website also has alot of original artwork.  how do i make sure that
this stuff is protected?

You can see the website at www.gchydro.com

Greetings Greencoast:

As soon as an original work is created, whether art or words, it is
considered copyrighted.  However, to *register* the copyright, you
must submit the work with the proper form to the United States
Copyright Office (USCO).

Your catalog would constitute a serial or periodical work because you
may offer future updated editions.  However, because you are using
stock photos which may already have copyrights, keep that in mind when
sending the material for a copyright.  In that case, you would submit
the collection of only your originals works as a collection (this
saves money instead of getting each one copyrighted separately).  To
register a serial or periodical, see
http://www.copyright.gov/register/serial.html - you'd send the fee,
form and a copy of the work to the USCO.

To copyright any artwork *separate* from the catalog (such as art work
online) you would utilize the Visual Arts copyright form.  See
http://www.copyright.gov/register/visual.html for details.

The online text content of your website (what is not in catalog) would
be copyrighted using the Literary Works form.  See
http://www.copyright.gov/register/literary.html for details.

Now, you may currently use "© 2003, [your name], All Right Reserved"
both on your site and in your catalog and I'll wager it will be
respected.  You may also add a warning on each page of the web site
and in the introduction to your catalog such as:

"WARNING: To copy text or art from this website in any manner, print
or electronic, without permission from the author or artist
constitutes copyright infringement.  Violaters are subject to full
prosecution under federal law."

I have a similar warning on my webiste and I also state "The link to
this page may be freely shared" to encourage people to show others my
site.

********

A "poor man's copyright" is this:  Put all material in a well-sealed
envelope, mail the material to yourself registered mail, return
receipt requested, and then DO NOT open the envelope.  It's
objectionable whether or not this will stand up in court but it is
good added protection, especially while waiting for an official
copyright number.

Explanation of term: A work with a copyright is "copyrighted" not
"copywritten."  "Copywritten" is not even a word according to
Miriam-Webster dictionary at
http://www.m-w.com/cgi-bin/dictionary?book=Dictionary&va=copywritten -
many people make this mistake when referring to a copyrighted work.

*********

When you visit the pages I have cited, you'll see .pdf links to the
necessary forms and you may print them on your home or office printer,
and then complete them and send with the mentioned fee.  Computers
have made it easier to get the forms - it used to be you had to mail
away for them.  You may also want to visit the FAQs page at USCO -
http://www.copyright.gov/help/faq/ - it addresses other information
you should know.

Thank you for asking this interesting question!

Best regards,
journalist-ga


SEARCH STRATEGY:

United States Copyright Office

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Request for Answer Clarification by greencoast-ga on 08 Aug 2003 15:50 PDT

Thank you so much for your great and informative answer!  This is
exactly what I needed!