Episode 5: What Is a Copyright?

Welcome to Episode 5 of Products of the Mind. In this episode, I answer another common intellectual property question: What Is a Copyright?

Copyright law protects original works of authorship. What does that actually mean? I get into the details in this episode.

Like trademarks, which I discussed in Episode 2 (What Is a Trademark?), copyrights are a type of Intellectual Property (which is often shortened to “IP.”) That’s a term for a class of intangible things that an individual or a business can own.

I always encourage people to think of copyrights (and IP in general) not as problems to be solved, or business expenses, but as a set of tools granted by the law that can help you own and protect what you create: the products of your mind, if you will. Understanding the basics about copyright and IP will be invaluable for the growth of your business or the success of your creative projects.

This Episode Includes

A brief definition of copyright. Definitions of the other forms of intellectual property (trademark, patent, and trade secrets). How copyrights are acquired. What rights go along with a copyright. Copyright registration. The proper form of copyright notice – such as © 2015 David Lizerbram

In future episodes, I’ll discuss trade secrets and other IP related topics.

If there was anything in this episode that wasn’t perfectly clear, or something you’d like me to expand on, please let me know.

Free Giveaway

Click here for your free Intellectual Property for Entrepreneurs Checklist!

Thanks for Checking Out Products of the Mind!

If you enjoyed today’s show, please share it by using the social media buttons you see at the top and bottom of this page.

Also, please consider taking the few seconds it takes to leave an honest review and rating for the podcast on iTunes. They’re very helpful when it comes to the ranking of the show and I read every one.

Finally, don’t forget to subscribe to the podcast on iTunes or your favorite podcast app to get automatic updates every time a new episode goes live.

The Credits

As always, the music for this episode was provided by Le Chateau. The track name is “Bury You.” Go buy it on Soundcloud!

This episode and these show notes © 2015 David Lizerbram