Hi, im a total newbie to webdesign

And im wondering, how do you copyright your website?

Thanx

Once you built it you own it. So if anyone was to steal it they infringe on that copyright. You can get an actual patent on it but it's not needed.

ok so once you have built it, you could put a copyright notice on it straight away, you dont have to register it or anything

when i say copyright notice, i mean this :

copyright (your company or website name) 2000 - 2002

thanx

Yes, all you have to do is put that notice. or You DON'T even have to do that. It is still copyrighted.

ok thanx for the help really greatful

Originally posted by NixHosting
Once you built it you own it. So if anyone was to steal it they infringe on that copyright. You can get an actual patent on it but it's not needed.

Just to clarify NixHosting's post, you can't patent a web site. You can register the copyright, but it's not necessary.

Yes sorry. Patent is for products. I guess my mind wasn't feeling healthy :)

Well you could actually apply for a registered copyright on the page design... I did it to one of mine.. you get a snazzy certificate :-)

Yes but what's the cost at now?

i think its best to just copyright it yourself.....

You can just put, Copyright (C) Yourname 2000 - 2002 I Think, and most people would take that seriously..

it is not correct that by simply inserting the words COPYRIGHT the material automatically becomes copyrighted. i dont know how this assumption became popular, but it is absolutely not true.

to explain simply, what is the FACT is that the creator of a material automatically becomes its copyright owner (assuming he or she can prove that the material in question was created by him or her).

in many instances it isn't practically possible to offer such proof even by the original creators themselves. that is why one can avail of the COPYRIGHT service... you have to make an application under this service that you seek to register your material as your own creation. there are nominal fees to be paid for this.

depending on which country you are in, the copyright rules are slightly different. many countries are also signatories to the Berne Convention. so a copyright in one country virtually becomes a worldwide copyright in all its member countries (most countries are signatories). additional nominal fees may or may not apply depending on the nature of material being copyrighted for including other countries under its ambit.

also, depending on what the created material is, it cannot be copyrighted FOREVER. that is another thing most people don't realize. there is a maximum time prescribed time limit for copyright. in most cases this can be stretched to about 50 years or so (again this depends on the created material in question). thats why you have those years mentioned next to the (C) in copyrighted material!

visit the website of the copyright authority of your own country for more information. these is just the simplistic explanation.

hope that helps remove some confusion :)