Yahoo Answers is shutting down on May 4th, 2021 (Eastern Time) and beginning April 20th, 2021 (Eastern Time) the Yahoo Answers website will be in read-only mode. There will be no changes to other Yahoo properties or services, or your Yahoo account. You can find more information about the Yahoo Answers shutdown and how to download your data on this help page.

Should I copy-write a new product?

I'm opening a business on etsy soon, and I'm going to be selling custom crafts, one of which I think will sell very well and is unique. Its a specific type of photo frame that I haven't been able to find anywhere else. I personally don't care if other people start copying the design, but what scares me is that someone else might copywrite my own design and keep me from producing it. Can you even copywrite something like a photo frame design? Please only answer if you have knowledge in this area. Thanks

6 Answers

Relevance
  • 4 years ago
    Favorite Answer

    A copyright applies to intellectual material, not products.

    You will want to look into getting a trademark for your item.

    It may be hard or impossible unless you can show that your frame is significantly different than other frames on the market.

    Be prepared to invest $1,000. (USD) in the trademark work. And remember that just because you spend the money to get the trademark does not mean that the office of trademarks will actually approve it in the end.

    You probably ought to just make them, sell them and get on with making money.

  • 4 years ago

    You don't need to copyright anything. By law, any creation of yours is automatically copy-written. The challenge is proving you created it first. The professional act of copy-writing simply helps document it.

  • John
    Lv 7
    4 years ago

    As Randy said, in today's world, in America, your work is copyrighted the moment it is finished, automatically. You CAN file a formal copyright, still. Be aware that all it does is give you the right to sue. There are no copyright police out there on your behalf. If you are not prepared to sue people then don't bother filing.

  • 4 years ago

    In the USA there is such a thing as a "design patent" that allows you to protect the ornamental appearance of something, rather than its function. Copyright would (in theory) cover the "creative work of original expression" in the form of a sculpture or the like. Copyright is free and automatic.

  • How do you think about the answers? You can sign in to vote the answer.
  • 4 years ago

    You would need to prove it is completely different from every product out there already, which is extremely difficult.

  • tro
    Lv 7
    4 years ago

    if you want to protect it you need a patent on it

Still have questions? Get your answers by asking now.