What is a copyright symbol? It’s a special Unicode character indicating that the content is copyrighted. If you regularly view copyrighted multimedia materials, then you already know what a copyright symbol looks like. If you run a business, or are genuinely into creative hobbies like writing, photography, music, creating art, videos, or even making blueprints of buildings and architectural structures, then you might have heard about copyright protection. This is something that you can apply to your work.
This symbol consists of the letter C inside a circle. It’s a special character that’s found in books, packaged goods like medicine, drink and food, and also on the footer section of almost all websites. They even show up at the end of television shows and movies, often accompanied by a statement regarding copyright infringement. Even if the copyright symbol is usually tiny and tucked away in corners, it has been specifically made for the exact opposite reason – to get people to notice it.
How to Type a Copyright Symbol in Microsoft Windows
You can include loads of symbols into any Microsoft Windows document with just several keystrokes. The Copyright and Trademark symbols are two of the most inserted symbols in a text, so here are a few ways for you to use them:
Inserting a Copyright or Trademark Symbol in a Microsoft Word Document
- Click on the “Insert” tab found on the Microsoft Word ribbon;
- Click on the “Symbol” button;
- At this point, it should be easy for you to find both the Copyright and Trademark symbols. You can find both of them on the drop-down menu. Click on one or both to insert them in your document; and
- The symbol is now in your document.
There is an alternative way of inserting Copyright and Trademark symbols in your Microsoft Documents, and that is through the keyboard. This works since both of these symbols are included by default, especially when you have switched on Microsoft Word’s AutoCorrect feature.
All you have to do is to type ( c ) with parentheses (remove the space) and then press the spacebar. A Copyright symbol will show up right away.
Why is a Copyright Symbol Important for Microsoft Word Documents?
Remember, copyright laws exist as a way to protect original creative works. This includes images, videos, music, books, video games, and various software products. Plus, keep in mind that copyright laws always depend on the country where the author of the content operates. Ideally, the owner of a copyrighted or trademarked product has every right to control how others use their work. This includes the right to sue people who end up using their copyrighted or trademarked work without their permission.
This is the reason why some images, along with other copyrighted content, will require a license or permission before you can use them in a public or commercial setting. Even if the author has sent you their approval to use the image, you might have to ask for further permission to use the content. This is because certain trademarks, copyrights, or publicity rights might also be involved. Plus, you are solely responsible for acquiring all of the necessary licenses and permissions so you can use the content in whatever context you choose.
In certain special circumstances, even copyright-protected work can still be used legally without asking for the owner’s permission. This is known as “Fair Use.” However, you’re recommended to consult a copyright lawyer before doing this.
How Do I Use a Copyright Symbol for My Documents in Ubuntu?
A large collection of computer programs like word processing tools and text editors is available in Ubuntu among other Linux distributions. These are developed by individuals, companies, and independent teams. Each of these programs can come under different licensing terms. For example, Ubuntu’s licensing policy indicates the software products that are included by default when using this operating system.
You can download lots of text character packages in Ubuntu. Many of these are organized into four main types of repositories. These are:
- Restricted;
- Main;
- Universe; and
- Multiverse.
Most software packages that get published in these repositories comply with Ubuntu’s free software philosophy. Authors must also be capable of providing substantial support to users.
For random Unicode characters, you can use the following keystrokes:
- Ctrl + Shift + (Unicode value). This will let you type nearly every single existing Unicode character that’s supported by your operating system. It’s quite straightforward to find all Unicode values;
- The next step is to look for the Copyright symbol, and take your pick. The most relevant Unicode symbol is the following: COPYRIGHT SIGN – U + 00A9;
- To insert the symbol in a Gnome window, then press CTRL+Shift+00a9 followed by a space. Keep in mind; you have to use lower-case letters; and
- Another good way to insert the Unicode copyright symbol is to press CTRL+Shift to see U+, so you can then use a lower-case letter.
How Do I Copyright an HTML Web Page?
As a website owner, you’re likely to have spent a considerable amount of time and resources to make your content beautiful. Of course, it makes sense to copyright it, to protect it from thieves, scammers, and pirates who might want to steal your own ideas. This urge to keep your site safe and original might prompt you to think, “So how do I copyright my website”?
Remember, a website also contains many components. Now, how can you protect all the sections of your website? For example, it makes sense that you would want to copyright or trademark an HTML site and a logo, or even a blog post.
Remember, there are two types of intellectual property. The first one is a trademark, and the second one is copyright. You can apply one or both of these types to your webpage. Here’s how to do it in an HTML document:
First, we need to look at the difference between “Trademarks” and “copyrights”. These are frequently used interchangeably. Even though both of them have something to do with protecting intellectual properties, they can refer to different things.
Copyright applies to original work. This includes musical, dramatic, literary, artistic, and other intellectual output. You use “Copyright” when you want to protect a photograph that you took, a Web page, a piece of graphical design, or the content of your blog. Put all of the original content you publish on your site can be protected by copyright law.
Keep in mind that after publishing your work, copyright law goes into effect, at least in many countries like the USA. Plus, even though your work is copyrighted by default, you can still get twice the amount of protection when you register it with a copyright. There is also a thing called “Fair Use.” This means that part of your copyrighted work can be used by the public to a certain extent that won’t violate your ownership rights to your content.
Meanwhile, a “trademark” refers to names, words, symbols, colors, sounds, and logos that are meant to separate goods and services from those made and sold by other companies. It’s also used to indicate the primary source of the content. You use trademark if you want to protect the rights of your logo, your site’s name, as well as other distinguishing marks.
Remember, a registered trademark can’t be used without your permission. This is why trademarks are only applied to the most important parts of your site – Your business name or title, logo, tagline, etc. A trademark can also include any item that separates the services and goods that your website or blog sells. For example, a trademark can cover jingles, symbols, colors, company names, etc. Keep in mind that if your name is not a recognizable brand, then you can’t trademark it.
Second, keep in mind that copyrights and trademarks on your sites are necessary because they can help you protect your Web page after you create a valuable business or generate a rather large following on your blog. This way, nobody can copy your logo and name, or create something that looks suspiciously similar.
Third, remember that just because your site is popular doesn’t necessarily mean that you have to get a trademark or copyright. Some bloggers can’t even be bothered to do so. However, if you want your readers to take your site or blog seriously, then registering the site properly and applying the right copyrights and trademarks to it can add in some protection against thieves.
How to Add a Copyright Symbol to a PHP Document
- You need to integrate HTML code so you can use a copyright symbol, with the next step using an opening PHP declaration;
- This is followed afterward by an echo tag, which renders the year while utilizing the function date (“Y”); and
- The next step is to close the PHP tag. This date function ensures that the copyright year always stays current, so your copyright applies to the current year.
Having to change the year of the document is always up for debate. In certain instances, you should never update the year, especially if your content and its original design have not changed considerably. However, there are still a couple of massive revisions and designs that you can do to keep the year updated.
Are you willing to place copyright in your site’s footer or any other area on your webpage, which immediately switches over to the following year without you having to edit things? There are two simple steps to do this. These are:
- You can use PHP to place the copyright on your Web pages. This is one of the better ways to do it. However, the important part here is that your webpage or server has to have PHP enabled. The reason why you need to do this is the content of your Web pages is processed on the server-side before it’s displayed for your viewers to see. Also, keep in mind that the settings won’t necessarily affect the primary outcome of the page. This means it’ll still show up no matter how many changes you do; and
- This might look a little bit more complicated, but the only thing you have to do is to add: <?php echo date(‘Y’) ?> Instead of manually writing the current year.
How Do I Use the Copyright Symbol?
The United States Copyright Office will give you a lot of suggestions on how to correctly use this symbol for your content. This includes sculptures, movies, books, etc. Sound recordings from an MP3 collection, a CD, a vinyl record, and the like can also be copyrighted. Essentially, a copyright symbol has the following components:
- The C inside a circle, along with the word ‘Copyright’ or ‘Copr.’ Abbreviation;
- The year the document was first published; and
- The copyright owner’s name.
As for audio and sound recordings, these will all require the same elements. However, the letter C is replaced with P, which is also placed inside a circle. On the other hand, some companies use the copyright symbol on the front side of their packaged materials, together with the current year and the company’s name, or the owners of the company. Another variant is “All Rights Reserved”.
This can differ between individuals and companies alike. And you might be surprised that the copyright symbol is unnecessary on certain occasions. However, the meaning of the logo hasn’t changed: To tell everyone that the content is protected by copyright laws.
