us copyright ofice (can't)

Information From The U.S. Copyright
Office On What Can NOT Be Copyrighted.

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WHAT YOU CANNOT COPYRIGHT

Works that are very easily copied such as:
A shape both ordinary and unusual
A short phrase (that is what a trademark is for if it is connected with a business)
Commonly known information (such as the sky is blue or the earth revolves around the sun.)
Ideas, Procedures or Methods (that's what a patent is for)
Useful Designs (that is what a design patent is for)

Information from the United States Copyright Office Circular No. 34.
NAMES, TITLES, AND SHORT PHRASES ARE NOT PROTECTED BY COPYRIGHT

FOR EXAMPLE THE PHRASE:
.
(Some names, titles and phrases are registered as
trademarks at the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.)

Even if a name, title, or short phrase is novel or distinctive, or if it lends itself to a play on words, it cannot be protected by copyright. The Copyright Office cannot register claims to exclusive rights in brief combinations of words such as:

Names of products or services	Titles of works
Names of pseudonyms of individuals (including pen name or stage name)	Names of businesses, organizations, or groups (including the name of a group of performers)
Catchwords, catch phrases, mottoes, slogans, or short advertising expressions	Mere listings of ingredients, as in recipes, labels, or formulas. When a recipe or formula is accompanied by explanation or directions, the text directions may be copy-rightable, but the recipe or formula itself remains uncopyrightable.

"To be protected by copyright, a work must contain at least a certain minimum amount of authorship in the form of original literary, musical, pictorial, or graphic expression. Names, titles, and other short phrases do NOT meet these requirements."

Information from the United States Copyright Office Circular No. 103.
USEFUL ARTICLES

. Image of Animated Man
Designs of useful objects may be protected under
design patents at The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.

Designs for useful articles, such as vehicular bodies, wearing apparel, household appliances, and the like are NOT protected by copyright.

However, the design of a useful article is subject to copyright protection to the degree that its pictorial, graphic, or sculptural features can be identified as existing independently of the utilitarian object in which they are embodied.

The line between uncopyrightable works of industrial design and copyrightable works of applied art is not always clear. A two-dimensional painting, drawing, or other graphic work is still identifiable when it is printed on or applied to useful articles such as textile fabrics, wallpaper, containers, and the like. On the other hand, although the shape of an industrial product may be aesthetically satisfying and valuable, the copyright law does not afford it protection.

Designs for useful things, such as cars, clothing, household appliances, are NOT protected by copyright. However, the design of a useful article is subject to copyright protection if separate images are created which people can recognize as that familiar thing.

For example, a painting or drawing is still identifiable when it is printed on or applied to fabrics, wallpaper, containers, etc. On the other hand, although the shape of a product may be valuable, the copyright law doesn't protect it.

Information from the United States Copyright Office Circular No. 31.
WHAT IS NOT PROTECTED BY COPYRIGHT
Image of a Math Puzzle

WHAT IS NOT PROTECTED BY COPYRIGHT Ideas, Methods, or Systems are NOT subject to copy-right protection. Copyright protection, therefore, is not available for:

ideas or procedures for doing, making, or building things	scientific or technical methods or discoveries
business operations or procedures	any other concept, process, or method of operation
formulas, algorithms	mathematical principles

Section 102 of the copyright law, title 17, United States Code, clearly expresses this principle: “In no case does copyright protection for an original work of authorship extend to any idea, procedure, process, system, method of operation, concept, principle, or discovery, regardless of the form in which it is described, explained, illustrated, or embodied in such work.”

Inventions are subject matter for patents, not copy-rights. Under certain circumstances it may be possible to secure patent protection for an invention or an inventive design for an article of manufacture.

THE COPYCAT'S TOUR	Computer #1 says: Knock, Knock... Computer #2 says: Who's There? Computer #1 says: U... Computer #2 says: U who? Computer #2 says: No, Yoohoo the trademark silly.
	Now you know about copyrights. But where do you find copyright rules on a website? Press the arrow pointing left to find out!!