Copyright infringement is becoming a bigger problem overtime, making it harder for artists to be in full custody of their inventions. For people who aren’t aware of what it is, copyright infringement is the act of violating an owner’s exclusive right warranted by the Federal Copyright Act. Due to the increased speed of the worldwide web, catching someone who committed copyright infringement would be a harder and longer process. The fear of someone stealing one’s intellectual property is at an all time high, because of  the level of accessibility.

How can YOU protect your property?

1. Patent
2. Copyright
3. Trademark

Patent: 

Creating a new invention that has never been invented before gives you the right to request to have a patent protecting it. Your invention has to be unique, non-obvious and useful to the public. Requesting for a patent requires an attorney to be present, so it tends to be a very complicated and lengthy process.

Copyright:

Copyright will protect fixed work (on a DVD or CD) from infringement. Even though it’s not required to file a copyright protection, you’re better off doing so just in case you run into some problems in the future. As soon as you create your invention, it would be smart to automatically put a copyright symbol immediately to inform everyone that you will do whatever it takes to protect your property. Consider consulting an attorney about the advantages and disadvantages of filing a copyright protection.

Trademark: 

A Trademark will protect the name of your invention. Having a name that is unique will create an advantage towards your invention or business. The purpose of having a trademark is to prevent confusion between different pieces of intellectual property. Like a patent, filing for a trademark is a lengthy process but having an attorney by your side will make it easier.

Recently, Panther Creek senior Justin Eisner experienced copyright infringement first hand when his picture was given to the News & Observer without his consent. A fellow student gave the News & Observer the picture without obtaining Eisner’s permission.

Media industries take a hard hit when it comes to copyright infringement and that is why we feel like we’ve heard music on the radio or lines in stories before. The only way we can grow as a society filled with different inventions is if  we leave each others property alone.