Copyright Logos: Its Usage and Importance

Any logo that is designed is for the people to recognize the brand in just one glance. It is the brand image of any company and is associated with the name throughout its life. Any misuse of the logo by any other organization or product may affect the brand image of the company originally associated with the logo. This is why it is necessary that the logo is copyrighted. To understand copyrights, you need to understand its basic function.If you copyright a logo, it gives your logo a security which can then limit others from using your logo without your permission.

Copyright is not just valid to logos for major companies who have a vast audience, but even a small family business must have a copyrighted logo. It will guarantee that no one else promotes their business through your logo and avoid any confusion with your loyal customers.

Registering a logo:

As soon as you create a logo, it is your rightful property and its copyrights belong to you. It is however recommended that you register the logo and hold a public record of your property. Anyone who registers their logo receives a certificate of registration as proof. An owner of a registered logo can file a lawsuit in the occasion that their logo has been misused or copied. The copyrights apply to all the states in America. Internationally most of the countries have copyright relations with America. This means that these countries respect the copyright designs of America and copying your design would be illegal.

Ownership of the logo:

If you are having a logo designed by a designer and compensating with a pay then the logo you can also have the ownership of the design. This is in the event that you have signed a contract stating that you are now the sole owner or co-owner of the said logo. If you are the creator of your own logo then to get it registered as copyright property is your individual responsibility.

Uniqueness of the Logo:

You can also risk a lawsuit or a ban of your logo design if the design is too similar to another existing law. To avoid any situation like this, you must do research on your own. An American website by the name of U.S Copyright Office is available to verify if the logo design is already in use or is either open to claim. The website has a massive database with nearly 20 million records to look through.

Using a Copyright Logo:

If you intend to use a logo that is copyrighted then you are required to ask for permission. You may be granted access to the logo by the owner, which means abiding by the conditions set forth by the creator; you are allowed to use the monogram. But in the case the material is copyrighted and you do not get the permission then you cannot use it legally under any law. If the logo is not copyright registered then you may use it, but it still is considered ethical to inform the creator or owner of the logo.

Tell Tale Signs of a Copyright logo:

If a logo is copyrighted then it will have a “©” sign along with it. This verifies the copyright and communicates with the owner that the sign is registered and cannot be used without permission. It will also hold the date of the logo when it was registered along with the name of the copyright holder.
This concludes to the usage and importance for the copyright of logos. If a designer wishes to get acknowledgment for his work and prevent himself from his work being copied, it is the best decision. A ‘copyright will verify designer’s work and give the credit that the designer deserves.