what do you do to copyright a logo, picture, song, patent an idea etc.? do you have to pay?

Answer 1

You've got several issues here; let's tackle them one at a time.

Trademark - Logo:

To register a trademark, that's done through the US Patent & Trademark Office for a Federal trademark.

Prior to investing your time, money & effort into a logo, it is strongly advised that comprehensive research be conducted to ensure that the logo you're interested in is truly available.

This entails searching the pending & registered Federal trademark design files.

Patent - Invention

It is not possible to protect ideas but rather the representation of that idea.

To protect an original invention OR a significant improvement to an existing product, a patent would be filed. Here's the USPTO's definition: http://www.uspto.gov/web/offices/pac/doc/general/index.html#patent

NOLO is a great, free informational site. Also, be sure to read what the USPTO (United States Patent & Trademark Office) has to say about patents.

Associations may be a good avenue to explore. These organizations will address many of the thoughts, questions and concerns you'll inevitably have as well as many you haven't anticipated yet. See the source box for some relevant links.

Research, research, research – this cannot be stressed enough. Read as much as you can. Here are some book titles that are relevant:

Getting a Patent:
* Patent It Yourself (11th Edition) by David Pressman
* Patents and How to Get One : A Practical Handbook by U.S. Department of Commerce
* How To Make Patent Drawings Yourself: A Patent It Yourself Companion by Jack Lo
* The Inventor's Notebook: A Patent It Yourself Companion by Fred E. Grissom

There are plenty of free informational resources out there. Check the source box for links to articles.

Copyright - Artwork, Song

You can do this at the US Copyright Office – see the last 4 links in the source box. The application is fairly simple & the cost is $45 per application.

Despite what others state, a "poor man's" copyright is NOT the same as registering it. Here's what the US Copyright Office has to say:

"The practice of sending a copy of your own work to yourself is sometimes called a 'poor man’s copyright.' There is no provision in the copyright law regarding any such type of protection, and it is not a substitute for registration."

Hope that helps! I wish you much success & happiness in all your ventures!

Answer 2

Copyright - contact the US Copyright Office at www.loc.gov/copyright

Trademark or Patent - contact the Patent Office at www.uspto.gov

Yes, there is a fee. $45 for most items including literary works and musical works.

These sites will give you all the information you need, application forms and how to apply (including what to send them and in what form ).

In general, if you keep close control over your material you do not have to worry about someone taking it. For instance, I write music for school groups. If a group performs one of my pieces, I always get it returned after the performance.

If you are planning to send it to a publisher (again generally) you don't have to worry about copyright. If it is published, the publisher will copyright the work. If you send it to a publisher with a recognized name in the business then you should have no worry.

If you are self-publishing, then you will need to do your own copyright applications (it's not difficult). Be wary of businesses that offer to file copyrights for you for a fee.

Good luck!!

Answer 3

you will have to go to the copyriht office for ragistration of your logo,picture,song or an idea.........
suppose if you want your article,poem or smthing else not to be stolen or copied than you will have to go for ragistration n the officer will stamp all the papers seeing the previous record,and then he will give you the reciept
after that whenever you find some one is copying you,you can inform the officers and these people will fight a case on your behalf.
yes they certainly do charge for it

Answer 4

Iron Maiden