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Copyright and Trademark: Overview To Help You Understand

By: Rex Stevenson

Copyright is the process which describes the process of giving legal rights to creators of artistic works. All these works, from novels, plays, newspapers to drawings, sculptures, advertisements, etc., are called artistic works. Even music, technical drawing and computer programs can receive copyrights, as they are part of the artistic works too.

The importance of copyright is given by the fact that artists become known and their work is recognized, also they can receive important sums of money for their creations. Copyright protects any artist and makes sure that anyone who violates their artistic work's rights is punished by the law. This way creators can distribute their works freely and without worrying, contributing to the culture, knowledge and entertainment everywhere on earth.

Most creative works under copyright require financial investment, communication, and mass distribution upon dissemination using different media. It includes publications, films, and sound recordings. The creators are often selling the rights of their works to companies or individuals who can market their works best to get back what they paid for. These payments are independently made based on the actual work usage, known as royalties.

The WIPO (World Intellectual Property Organization) states that these companies receive rights only fifty years after the death of the creator, but in some cases the national law can extend the time limit. This helps the creators and their heirs to obtain profit for some time. This treaty also includes moral rights, like the right of claiming authorship or protecting their reputation if changes are made that may harm it.

Each country has its own national legislation, which gives the copyright and other rights to people. International treaties may have some of the national laws applied to make sure that there is no discrimination when granting rights to the creators. If you need more information about this, you should check the National Copyright Administration or CLEA (Collection of Laws For Electronic Access).

World Intellectual Property Organization is an international organization which gives a lot of international treaties that have connections with intellectual property rights. It is important for everyone to seek the advice of copyright lawyers, although WIPO is obliged to consult anyone upon different legal matters.

Copyright is not something new. Even before any legal procedures towards copyright were done, there was copyright. People had copyright on their works although they made no formalities. This fact was stated in the Berne Convention and is available now in countries where this convention is recognized and used.

There are national offices where people can register because the WIPO does not help you with the copyright registration. Registering your work may have some benefits: you can become known, your work is distinguished from other works, and you can use your rights in court if someone makes illegal moves on your work.

Every company or business has a trademark which acts like a representation. A trademark is a combination of words, symbols or names and is used to identify products that are made by a certain company. In other words, a brand name is represented by a trademark.

Although trademark registration has not been made necessary by the government, there are some advantages that people can obtain when registering their trademark. If you want to have an international registration for your trademark you must first register it locally. The advantages of having your trademark registered are constituted by the rights you are given. Also, people should know that copyright and trademarks are different because it helps them with various legal issues.

Article Source: http://www.approvedarticles.com

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