How do I copyright my saying?

Can I put a quote on a shirt and sell it?

Yes, you can put quotes on shirts and sell them, but you must be careful about copyright and trademark law, focusing on public domain, short/generic phrases, or original work, while avoiding famous, recent quotes or trademarked slogans (like Nike's "Just Do It") to prevent legal issues from IP owners like Disney or music artists.
 

How to use a quote without plagiarizing?

Put quotation marks at the beginning and end of the copied text. Add an in-text citation at the end of the quoted text (outside the quotation mark). Write (in your own words) to give context or introduce the quoted text. Add the sentence with your own words, the quote, and the in-text citation to your paper.

Is it worth trademarking a phrase?

Yes, it's almost always worth trademarking a distinctive phrase if it's central to your brand, as it grants exclusive rights, prevents consumer confusion, offers legal protection against infringers, and builds significant brand equity, although it involves costs for filing, maintenance, and enforcement. While enforcement can be challenging for small businesses, trademarking provides essential ownership and the ability to stop competitors from using your hard-earned brand identity. 

Is 10 seconds fair use?

A: It depends. Educational or scholarly use weighs in favor of fair use. The brevity of the clip is another factor in favor of fair use, but if those 10 seconds are the heart of the video, it could weigh against Fair Use.

What is the 3 month rule for copyright?

The "copyright 3 month rule" refers to a key deadline for U.S. copyright registration: you must register your work within three months of its first publication (or before infringement begins) to be eligible to claim statutory damages and attorney's fees in a copyright infringement lawsuit, which can be crucial for remedies beyond just an injunction. Failing to meet this deadline means you generally can only sue for actual damages (harder to prove) if infringement occurs, but registration is still vital for other benefits and to sue at all, notes Donahue Fitzgerald LLP and Cotman IP. 

Is it better to trademark or LLC?

An LLC (Limited Liability Company) creates a legal business structure that separates personal and business assets for liability protection, while a trademark protects your brand identity (name, logo, slogan) to prevent consumer confusion, with an LLC being the foundation and a trademark securing your brand's unique identifiers, serving different but complementary roles in business formation and protection. You usually form the LLC first as the legal entity and then register a trademark to protect your specific brand name and logo used within that business. 

What is the cheapest way to get a copyright?

The cheapest ways to get a copyright are filing yourself, using DIY legal services, or hiring a budget-friendly attorney.

What are the three rules of copyright?

Three key aspects of U.S. copyright law include the exclusive rights granted to creators (reproduction, adaptation, distribution, performance, display), the requirement for a work to be original, creative, and fixed for protection, and the duration of copyright, typically the life of the author plus 70 years. These laws, primarily found in Title 17 of the U.S. Code, protect original expressions like books, music, software, and art. 

How do I register a phrase?

6 Steps to Trademark a Phrase

1. Step 1 – Come Up With an Original and Unique Phrase. ...
2. Step 2 – Make Sure Nobody Else is Using the Phrase. ...
3. Step 3 – Choose the Appropriate Class and Filing-Bases For the Trademark. ...
4. Step 4 – Consult With an Attorney. ...
5. Step 5 – Submit a Trademark Application. ...
6. Step 6 – Wait.

What phrases are not copyrighted?

The Copyright Office's regulations provide that “words and short phrases such as names, titles, and slogans” are not subject to copyright because they contain a de minimis amount of authorship. 37 C.F.R. § 202.1; see also U.S. Copyright Office, Compendium of U.S. Copoyright Office Practices § 313.4(C) (3d ed.

How long do copyrights last?

Generally, copyright protection lasts for the length of the author's life plus another 70 years. In the case of joint works, copyright protection lasts for the length of the life of the last surviving joint author plus another 70 years.

Is it better to trademark or copyright?

Neither copyright nor trademark is inherently "better"; they protect different things: Copyright guards original creative works (books, music, art) for a long time, while a Trademark protects brand identifiers (names, logos, slogans) used in commerce and lasts indefinitely as long as used and renewed. For businesses, trademarks are often more critical for brand recognition, but many assets (like a logo) benefit from both, with copyright protecting the artistic design and trademark protecting its use in commerce. 

Is there a way to copyright for free?

You can generally copyright something for free by simply creating/performing/recording it. Enshrined in law by the Copyright Act of 1976, almost anything you create and record in tangible form automatically belongs to you. You can watermark it, add copyright notices, and decide how you want it to be used—it's yours!

What phrases can you not trademark?

What Words Cannot Be Trademarked?

• Generic Terms. (Example: “Coffee” for a coffee shop) ...
• Descriptive Terms Without Distinctiveness. (Example: “Best Miami Plumber”) ...
• Geographically Descriptive Names. (Example: “Orlando Roofing Services”) ...
• Surnames (Last Names) (Example: “Johnson Plumbing”) ...
• Common Phrases or Industry Terms.

How long does a trademark last?

Trademarks do not have expiration dates.

A federal trademark lasts 10 years from the date of registration, with a potentially unlimited number of 10-year renewal terms. So, every 10 years, the owner of a federal trademark registration must renew it with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

Can someone steal my logo if it's not trademarked?

If your logo is registered with the USPTO (U.S. Patent and Trademark Office), you have a strong legal foundation to stop others from using it. But even without registration, you may still have common law rights if you've been using the logo consistently in commerce.

How to put something in your own words without plagiarizing?

It is best to read the original text, then read the summary, and look for phrases or language that are too similar to the original text. If the summary is too close to the original, then to avoid plagiarism it is best to use a quote or rewrite the summary again in your more of your own words.

How to give credit to a quote with no author?

According to the MLA Style Center if a resource doesn't have an author do not use “Anonymous,” instead use the title of the resource. In in-text citations, use a shortened title of the work in place of an author's name.

Do you need permission to use a quote?

How much of someone else's work can I use without getting permission? Under the fair use doctrine of the U.S. copyright statute, it is permissible to use limited portions of a work including quotes, for purposes such as commentary, criticism, news reporting, and scholarly reports.