Copyrighting a graphic design job is an important step in protecting the intellectual property of your work. A copyright gives you exclusive rights over the use of your work and prevents people from using it without permission.
It also provides legal recourse should your work be copied or used without authorization.
The first step in copyrighting a graphic design job is to register it with the U.S. Copyright Office.
This can be done online or by post and will require submitting an application, paying a fee and submitting a deposit of two copies of the work. Once registered, you will receive a certificate of registration which serves as proof that you are the owner of the copyright.
Once registered, you should mark all copies of your work with a copyright notice. The notice should include the year and name of the copyright owner, as well as the © symbol or word “copyright”. This will give notice to anyone who sees it that your work is copyrighted and cannot be used without permission.
You should also consider adding digital watermarks to any digital files containing your graphic design work, such as PDFs or images. These watermarks are usually invisible but allow for detection if someone attempts to use your work without authorization.
Finally, it’s important to keep records. Keep copies of all paperwork related to registering your graphic design job, including contracts with clients or other parties who may have authorized use of your work. This will help protect you in case there are any future disputes about ownership or unauthorized use.
Conclusion: Copyrighting a graphic design job is an essential part of protecting one’s intellectual property rights and ensuring that no one can use their work without permission. It starts with registration with the U.S Copyright Office followed by marking all copies with a copyright notice and adding digital watermarks to digital files containing one’s works, along with keeping records as evidence in case there are any future disputes.