How to assert your rights ahead of the copying of business documents

Any business has a certain amount of intellectual property that it produces. These business documents must be protected and, luckily, nine times out of ten, copyright assignment automatically goes to the original creator. Are there any exceptions? This post breaks it down.

Protecting Rights Against the Copying of Business Documents

Copyrights might seem complicated but they’re quite simple. The “owner” of the rights to a piece of intellectual property is automatically the original creator. This means that whoever first created a document, a publication or a work of art is the person who is automatically assigned the copyright. It’s useful to explicitly state this to protect against the copying of business documents. When it comes to the copying of business documents, a copyright allows the original creator to stop others from reproducing, broadcasting or distributing content. If a business contracts a third-party designer or creator, the copyright remains with them.

What Constitutes Copyright Infringement for Business Documents?

So who owns the copyright? That’s the defining hallmark when trying to determine who might be responsible for the copying of business documents. If there’s copyright infringement, then the original owner (not necessarily the creator of the documents), has the right to ask the other party to stop. The copying of business documents can also extend to other “actions”, not just the documents themselves. So, for example, if someone takes these business documents and then converts them to a fillable PDF that they try to pass as “their own property”, that is definitely copyright infringement.

To protect against copyright infringement, don’t assume. Ensure that the business entity is the owner of the copyright by checking the copyright assignment document. Then, make sure to display this explicitly, especially when creating a document or work that will live online. Also make sure to know the specific state and country’s rules around copyright because they may differ geographically.