Dummies guide to copyright

[JustOneUK]

Can someone post a dummies guide for copyrighting a word, name or phrase please?

- How do you do it
- What you do if someone uses your copyrighted name/word/phrase

Thanks a lot.. it will be appreaciated by many :)

[Astaroth]

Do you mean trademark? Something is copyrighted as soon as you create it and put it to a recorded form (ie an idea in your head isnt copyrighted but if you write it down it is)

Dont know if they are still members or not but remember http://crossguard.info/ used to have a half decent amount of free info on Interlectual Property

[SolsburyHill]

Maybe of interest:-

http://www.out-law.com/page-338

http://www.out-law.com/page-339

http://www.out-law.com/page-340

http://www.pinsentmasons.com/Default.aspx?page=1205

These are all basic guides on the well known Out-Law site and variants of the guides on the Pinsent Masons website. The first one is on copyright. But to be clear you don't have to register copyright and there can be no copyright protection in a word per se. Brands are protected via unregistered common law rights such as the tort of passing off based on use of the brand and via trade mark registrations.

The Out-Law site has many free guides beyond the basic IP and is a good source of information, especially for online businesses.

[Antonia @limeone.com]

http://www.ipo.gov.uk/copy.htm

Answers most questions relating to copyright and provides, in my view, one of the clearest signposts to general enquiries. Not something I would say about all Government web sites but this one is excellent.

[Crossguard]

Our website at www.crossguard.info has a large amount of free info including guides to copyright and trade marks.