Copyright quiz: how well do you know your rights?

Correct answer: As soon as it is created and fixed in a tangible form Copyright protects original works of authorship from the moment they are fixed in a tangible medium, such as paper, a file or a recording (17 U.S.C. § 102). No registration is needed for the copyright to exist.

Correct answer: Register the work with the U.S. Copyright Office For works first published in the United States, registration (or a refused application) is required before filing an infringement lawsuit (17 U.S.C. § 411). Copyright exists without it, but you cannot go to court until you register.

Correct answer: Evidence of your authorship and of the date your work existed In a dispute, the party who can prove the earliest date has the advantage. A dated filing kept by a trusted third party is evidence of that date. It does not replace registration with the Copyright Office, which you still need before suing over a U.S. work.

Correct answer: Before the infringement starts, or within three months of first publication Under 17 U.S.C. § 412, statutory damages (up to $150,000 per work for willful infringement) and attorney's fees are only available if the work was registered before the infringement began or within three months of publication. Registering early matters.

Correct answer: No, only the way the idea is expressed Copyright never extends to "any idea, procedure, process, system, method of operation, concept, principle, or discovery" (17 U.S.C. § 102(b)). Write your project down in detail and date that document: the expression is protected, and the date is your evidence.

Correct answer: The author's life plus 70 years For works created since 1978, the term is the author's life plus 70 years (17 U.S.C. § 302). Works made for hire last 95 years from publication or 120 years from creation, whichever ends first.

Correct answer: No, but it prevents an infringer from claiming innocent infringement The notice has been optional since March 1, 1989. When a proper notice appears on published copies, an infringer cannot use the "innocent infringer" defense to reduce damages (17 U.S.C. § 401(d)).

Correct answer: ® is only for federally registered marks; ™ can be used for any mark you claim The ® symbol may only be used once the mark is registered with the USPTO, for the goods or services covered (15 U.S.C. § 1111). Misusing it can harm your trademark rights. ™ (or ℠ for services) simply shows that you claim the sign as your brand.

Correct answer: Both: copyright covers the artwork, trademark covers its use as a brand An original logo design is protected by copyright as soon as it is created. Registering it as a trademark with the USPTO gives you exclusive rights to use it as a brand for the goods and services listed.

Correct answer: The text, images, original design and code Each original element of a site is a work: text, photos, illustrations, code. A domain name is not a work of authorship; it can be protected in other ways, for example as a trademark.

Correct answer: No, unless you have permission, a license, or your use is fair use Being online does not make an image free to use, and giving credit is not permission. You need the owner's permission, a license (for example Creative Commons), or a use that qualifies as fair use.

Correct answer: Case by case, weighing four factors, including the purpose of the use and its effect on the market Courts weigh four factors (17 U.S.C. § 107): the purpose and character of the use, the nature of the work, the amount used, and the effect on the market for the original. There is no safe number of words or seconds.

Correct answer: Yes, the code is protected as a literary work Computer programs are literary works, including their source code. The ideas, algorithms and methods they use are not covered by copyright.

Correct answer: No, the Copyright Office only registers works of human authorship The U.S. Copyright Office requires human authorship, and federal courts have upheld that rule. Your own creative choices in a work made with AI tools can be protected; material generated by the AI must be disclaimed.

Correct answer: The musical work (music and lyrics) and, separately, the sound recording The composition belongs to its songwriters; the sound recording has its own copyright, often owned by the label or producer, with its own ℗ notice.