(I'm doing comics, have a name for them & need to know if the name's already being used.) then I wanna copywrite it & need to know what to do-can names be copywritten online? how much does it cost?
2007-06-22 14:55:43 · 3 answers · asked by strange-artist 7 in Politics & Government ➔ Law & Ethics
For worldwide trademarks and copyrights, you can check the database at the World Intellectual Property Organization here:
http://www.wipo.int/services/en/
WIPO is a specialized agency of the UN.
2007-06-22 16:01:29 · answer #1 · answered by noble_savage 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
You might try going to this site, which will allow you to search on Author, Name, Title, and so on. You can also request that the Copyright office do a search for you for a fee.
http://www.copyright.gov/records/
There are two types of copyright: registered and unregistered. As you might expect, a registered copyright is on file with the Copyright office. However, any material that anyone creates is copyright protected even if it not registered. On the other hand, if you think you might want to take somebody to court for copyright infringement, then it might be nice to have your material registered.
This site just deals with US copyright registration. Your idea about a world-wide copyright database is pure fantasy.
2007-06-22 22:14:44 · answer #2 · answered by badyke 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
You cannot "copyright" names; you "trademark" them. To get copyright protection for comics you need to register the visual art and the literary portions, which may include names of characters, but not simply names.
2007-06-22 23:10:24 · answer #3 · answered by Nuff Sed 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋