Copyrighting a cell phone feature?

Question

Hello, so I was in a journalism class and we had to come up with an original product to market. We decided on a cell phone that would have a feature never before thought of in relation to cell phones. We were so inspired by it that we then thought the cell phone companies might come up with some type of variance of this feature. The Question: How does one go about copyrighting a cell phone feature? If one can that is. I went onto copyright.gov and found nothing in relation to improvements on product, only literary and visual works. I am uncertain because it is simply an improvement on a product already being used. Any answers that can help point me in the right direction are appreciated. Thanks!

~Melinda~

Ah, thanks Jimmy! That helps.

Thanks to you too, Michael. That was a 'lightbulb' moment. I forgot about patents (sad but true.) Thanks!

Answer 1

Jimmy and MIchael are right -- generally any invention that _does_ something or makes a product better is subject to a patent.

Copyright protects "original works of expression" -- visual, aural, written, whatever. You can't copyright content, or an idea, but you can copyright the EXPRESSION of that idea.

In addition, if your feature is more of a decorative feature, you can either acquire a "design" patent (a special type of patent that protects nonfunctional asthetic features of an article), or, if the thing is used to identify source of the product, perhaps "trade dress" trademark protection.

Finally, if you make a DRAWING of your invention, that can be copyrighted as a "technical drawing." Of course, if someone comes out and makes your invention, you can't sue for copyright infringement, but if they copy the drawing you used to create a blueprint, you could.
(So there are a few overlaps; generally, though, if this is actually a "feature" you'd want a patent. But you have to be able to put this into practice (i.e. you can't patent a cell phone with a time machine on it, unless you can prove to the patent office that you know how to bend the space-time continuum.) Patenting also takes lots of money, and often lots of time, to draft up the patent (unless it's a design patent), to work with an examiner to get the words right, and to actually get it.

Answer 2

You can't copyright anything like that. New products and improvements to products are protected by patents, not copyright.

Answer 3

I think you want to look into a patent, not a copyright.