Copyright, Author's Rights and Intellectual Property

Whether you are an author, photographer, developer, musician or entrepreneur, understanding copyright is essential to protecting your creations. This complete guide covers everything you need to know: definition, © symbol, protection duration, Berne Convention and free deposit methods.

12 min read Updated: April 2026

Copyright, Author's Rights and Intellectual Property

What is copyright?

Copyright ("right to copy") is a set of exclusive rights automatically granted to the author of an original work. It allows them to control the reproduction, distribution, adaptation and communication of their creation to the public.

Copyright applies to any creative work that shows originality, with no requirement for merit or artistic quality. Here are the main categories of protected works:

Literary works: novels, articles, poems, theses, scripts

Artistic works: paintings, sculptures, photographs, illustrations

Musical works: compositions, lyrics, arrangements

Audiovisual works: films, videos, animations

Software: source code, interfaces, databases

Digital creations: websites, designs, infographics

Key takeaway

Copyright protects the form of expression, not ideas. It arises automatically upon creation of the work, without any formality.

Warning

Copyright vs Moral Rights: key differences

The terms "copyright" and "droit d'auteur" (moral rights) are often used interchangeably, but they cover distinct legal systems. For more details, see our copyright definition page.

🇫🇷

Moral rights (civil law)

Droit civil

🇺🇸

Copyright (common law)

Common law

💡 Philosophy

🇫🇷 Droit d'auteur

Protects the author's personality

🇺🇸 Copyright

Protects economic investment

🛡️ Moral rights

🇫🇷 Droit d'auteur

Perpetual, inalienable (attribution, integrity, disclosure, withdrawal)

🇺🇸 Copyright

Limited (attribution right only)

👤 Initial holder

🇫🇷 Droit d'auteur

Always the individual author

🇺🇸 Copyright

Can be the employer (work for hire)

🔄 Transferability

🇫🇷 Droit d'auteur

Economic rights transferable, moral rights not

🇺🇸 Copyright

All rights are transferable

📋 Formality

🇫🇷 Droit d'auteur

No formality required

🇺🇸 Copyright

Registration recommended (US Copyright Office)

Inalienable International

In practice, the Berne Convention harmonizes both systems: a work created in one member country is automatically protected in all 180 others.

Good to know

In practice, thanks to the Berne Convention, a work created in a member country is automatically protected in the other 180, regardless of the legal system.

Why protect your creations?

In intellectual property law, your work is theoretically protected the moment it is created. However, this automatic protection falls short in a dispute. If a third party claims ownership of your work, the court will require you to prove that you created it first. Without undeniable proof of anteriority, your automatic rights become impossible to enforce. This is where timestamping comes in, a process that digitally seals your file to provide a fixed, indisputable date.

Imagine: a photographer whose viral image is plagiarized by a major brand, a developer who discovers their code is copied by a competitor, or a musician who hears their melody reproduced identically. Without dated proof, these creators will watch thieves walk away with impunity, and could even face infringement accusations themselves. Protecting your work proactively is the only way to prevent these nightmares.

True or False ?

My work is automatically protected, I don't need to do anything else.

The reality

Protection is indeed automatic (Berne Convention), but without dated proof of creation, it's impossible to prove your anteriority in case of dispute. A timestamped certificate with SHA-256 fingerprint is the only way to build verifiable proof.

True or False ?

Sending a registered letter to myself is sufficient as proof.

The reality

This is "poor man's copyright": a letter is easily falsifiable (you can send an open envelope and seal it later). Courts give it little evidentiary value. A timestamped SHA-256 digital fingerprint is mathematically verifiable.

Without proof

No certain date to prove your anteriority

The plagiarist can claim to be the original author

Long, costly procedure with uncertain outcome

Impossible to send a credible DMCA takedown

With Copyright01

Timestamped certificate with SHA-256 fingerprint

Proof of anteriority enforceable in 181 countries

Deposit in 5 minutes, PDF certificate immediately

DMCA takedown with verifiable proof

Key takeaway

The Copyright01 certificate constitutes proof of anteriority compliant with Article 5(2) of the Berne Convention. It attests that your work existed at a specific date through the SHA-256 cryptographic fingerprint.

The copyright symbol ©

The © symbol (a C enclosed in a circle) is the universal sign of copyright. It is used to inform the public that a work is protected. For everything about this symbol (keyboard shortcuts, HTML codes, SVG and PNG versions), see our dedicated copyright symbol © page.

The standard format for a copyright notice is:

Standard format

© 2026 Rights holder name. All rights reserved.

Reminder: the © symbol is not mandatory in Berne Convention countries. Copyright applies automatically.

Good to know

The © symbol is not mandatory in the 181 Berne Convention countries. Copyright applies automatically. But displaying it deters copycats.

The Berne Convention

The Berne Convention for the Protection of Literary and Artistic Works (1886) is the pillar of international copyright law. It establishes three fundamental principles:

Berne Convention

181 signatory countries, hover to explore

Signatory Non-signatory

Today, 181 countries are signatories to the Berne Convention, covering virtually the entire planet.

Key takeaway

181 countries, automatic protection, minimum 50 years post-mortem. Your work is protected worldwide without any formality.

Duration and validity of protection

Duration and validity of protection
Region / Country	Protection duration	Notes
European Union	70 years post-mortem	Directive 2006/116/EC
United States	70 years post-mortem	Works created after 1978
Canada	70 years post-mortem	Since December 30, 2022
Japan	70 years post-mortem	Since 2018 (TPP agreement)
Berne minimum	50 years post-mortem	Floor guaranteed by the Convention

After expiration, the work enters the public domain: it can be freely reproduced, adapted and distributed by anyone.

Frequently asked questions about copyright

Yes. Copyright is an automatic and free right. You don't need to pay anything to benefit from copyright protection. Depositing proof of prior existence on Copyright01.com is also free for your first works.

Copyright protects creative works (texts, images, music, software). A patent protects technical inventions. Copyright is automatic; a patent requires filing with an industrial property office (USPTO, EPO).

An original logo can be protected by copyright. A business name or brand does not fall under copyright but under trademark law (registration with the USPTO or EUIPO).

Yes. Copyright applies to all works, regardless of their medium. A text, image or video published on the Internet is protected exactly like a work published on paper.

Start by documenting the violation (screenshots, URLs). Send a takedown request (DMCA in the United States, cease and desist in other countries). If necessary, present your Copyright01 certificate as proof of prior existence in court.

The Berne Convention covers 181 countries, representing virtually the entire planet. The few non-signatory countries often provide protection through other treaties (Universal Copyright Convention, TRIPS/WTO agreements).