Anyone familiar on what needs to be copyrighted and how to do it?

[UDT89]

Ok, so i am starting my own clothing line. A friend came to me with some very good ideas asking for my business expertise and other things that basically he has no clue with. So now we're partners.

Now the thing that i dont have a clue about, along with him, is copyrighting. Basically we have our company name and its website. Does that need to be copyrighted?

The clothing is mostly shirts and hats for now. The shirts will have origional artwork drawn by a friend on them with our company logo/website on the front. Does the website need to be copyrighted? What about the drawings? What about the sayings we put below the pictures?


Basically i dont want someone to just go home, draw a different picture, slap a new slogan on it with the same meaning and stick it on a shirt. I feel that our ideas are unique and no one has had anything out like them.

So what i would need is advice from anyone that has been through it and which aspects are a good idea to copyright. Also any sites that explain it in lamens terms, the gov't site was complicated the last time i checked it a year back, and how much it costs and all those goodies.

I appreciate the help, and if you're good enough in helping me i'll send you a free shirt or hat when things get rolling.

 

[axelfox]

What you want is a Trademark, and you have to (I think) register that with the Trademark Office of the government.

Copyrights are for works things like songs and book, which are copyrighted the moment you make it.

Go Here

Hey, can I get a sample?

 

[BlueApple]

linky

 

[UDT89]

well looks like when the artist drew the items, they copyrighted themselves.

But if i decide to have a company logo, it doesnt need to be trademarked, but does have its benefits if i do. Its like 300 beans though,


Thanks for the help guys i'll keep you in mind in the next few weeks.

 

[JustinSampson]

Originally posted by: UDT89
well looks like when the artist drew the items, they copyrighted themselves.

But if i decide to have a company logo, it doesnt need to be trademarked, but does have its benefits if i do. Its like 300 beans though,


Thanks for the help guys i'll keep you in mind in the next few weeks.

If your starting a buisness and your fretting over $300, maybe you shouldn't be starting it.

I know it might fell like a waist, but there's going to be a hole lot more things like that.

The down payment to have shirts/hats printed alone is going to be 5 times that easily...

 

[UDT89]

nice spelling

second, i didnt say 300 is a lot. i said it was 300 and wasnt happy about it. why should i pay the gov't 300 bucks to register my own symbol. its not like the money goes to anything important.


as for not starting my company, im not creating the next Nike or the next Armani. I cant stand posters like you, that have nothing better to do than rain on someones parade. U're gonna be one of those people, if you arent already, thats a total pessimist that has to think in reality.

As i stated before, its a good investment for 300, and the benefits for that cost outweigh not doing it. But i'd rather print up 300 dollars more in shirts than do it right now. As for your figure of 5 times that to print up the shirts, who do you go to? Do they use some special ink or something? I got quoted a LOT cheaper than that.

Thanks for the advice on trademarking or copyrighting, if there was any in that lame post


PS

I went with dixiesys for my hosting

 

[kgraeme]

Originally posted by: UDT89

second, i didnt say 300 is a lot. i said it was 300 and wasnt happy about it. why should i pay the gov't 300 bucks to register my own symbol. its not like the money goes to anything important.

It goes towards legal protection of your trademark so someone else can't come in and take away the hard work you put in to build a business. But I guess that's not anything important.

 

[UDT89]

trust me i know the importance, but it states on the govt site you dont have to register it and still have a legal case against someone taking it. but the trademark leaves no loopholes for the trademark infringers to jump through.


I decided to go through with it when i make my first 300.