Copyrighting is the process of acquiring the legal rights to intellectual property, or copyright for a creative work. A copyright grants the owner the exclusive right to copy, distribute, adapt, display, and perform their work for a set period of time.
Copyright protection begins automatically when an original work is fixed in a tangible form, such as when ideas are written down or typed. However, registering a work with the U.S. Copyright Office can enhance protections and is required to enforce exclusive rights through litigation.
The Difference Between Copywrite vs. Copyright
While they sound very similar, the two terms have entirely unrelated meanings.
- Copywrite: Copywriting is creating marketing, advertising, and other business-related text.
- Copyright: Copyrighting is acquiring the legal rights to intellectual property.