Historically, under the Copyright Act of 1909, publication was the key to obtaining Federal Copyright Protection. That belief still exists to this day. Unfortunately, many Website Authors who believe that publication alone protects them entirely are limiting the scope and breath of the protection available to them for their works under the 1976 Copyright Act.
“Publication is the distribution of copies of phonorecords of a work to the public by sale or other transfer of ownership, or by rental, lease or lending. The offering to distribute copies of phonorecords to a group of persons for the purposes of further distribution, public performance or public display constitutes publication. A public performance or display of a work does not of itself constitute publication.”
In essence, when your company files for copyright protection for your work, you are registering your proof and right to ownership of the work with the Library of Congress. This right offers your company critical legal protections against those who would steal, claim ownership of, and use your content without your company’s permission.
Whether your website is geared towards a national audience, or you’re focus is on the local Tampa Bay area, your website needs the full protection afforded by copyright laws. Lets face it, given the amount of time and money invested by a company in developing, writing and publishing a website, copyright involves a minimal expense to protect your asset against the very real possibilities of theft and misuse.
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