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Copyright is for original works of literature, drama, music, art or intellectual property. Once an
original piece is finished, it automatically receives copyright protection. Copyrights can be
designated by attaching the symbol , the full word copyright, or the abbreviation Copr.
Available to published and unpublished works, a copyright gives the owner the exclusive right to
reproduce the work, prepare derivative works, distribute copies and perform/display the work
publicly. Copyrights require no publication or registration with the U.S. Copyright Office, but
there are advantages of doing so. To register your piece, you can file an original claim to the U.S.
Copyright Office by completing an online registration or filling out the Form CO. Copyrights
do not cover titles, names, phrases or slogans, symbols, designs, ideas, procedures, methods,
concepts or discoveries. A copyrights protection generally lasts for the life of the author(s) plus
70 years.
Trademark
Trademarks are for words, symbols, devices or names that are used to distinguish the goods of
one manufacturer or seller from that of another. Any distinctive name, symbol, or word is
designated as trademarked with the symbol . The trademark designation notifies others that the
products name and design are the companys property. However, this trademark does not protect
the company from another company that produces a similar product or uses a similar name. If
such a thing were to happen, the original company would have to prove that it produced the
name or design first, but still may not have a legal defense without a registration.
Related Reading: Duration of Trademark Registration
TM: The TM sign is used to signal an unregistered trademark, indicating a brand name for a
product (classes 1 to 34). This sign can be designated by the owner indicating their belief of the
trademark.
SM: The SM sign is identical to the TM sign except that it is used to designate a service mark
(classes 35 to 45).
: The symbol can only be used once a trademark or service mark have been registered by a
country entity or organization. It indicates that the country authority has approved the
registration.
: The symbol is used to notify a copyright and can be replaced with the word "copyright". It
is followed by the year of the publication and owner's name and can be used whether or not the
work has obtained copyright registration.