The Female Entrepreneur Magazine January 2016 January 2016 | Page 12

January 2016 5. Simply Repeating Copyrights Does Not Satisfy the Law There are many ways you can show something you created has been copyrighted because how you show your work has a copyright is more a matter of preference than U.S. law. Sometimes, authors also use the words “All Rights Reserved,” or “All Intellectual Rights Reserved.” Neither is really necessary as a copyright already indicates that your rights are protected. But an author is not even required to show a copyright in order to be able to assert their rights. For example, a signature on a painting is sufficient for the painter to claim rights - the painter does not need to add anything further about copyrights to the painting itself. Music is similar in that the songs you hear on the radio do not have disclaimers read out loud each time a new song is played. However, many authors do allow you to freely use their works without specific permission. Some don't care and state that anyone can do anything without giving credit, but some require you to show their copyright in a certain format as a condition of use. When using material from someone else, it is very important that you honor the author's request as to how they want credit shown. If you do not accurately comply with the instructions, and the use is authorized only if you give credit in a very particular way, you could still be violating someone elses' copyrights.