copyright

whammo57

whammo57

Kim Walker
Silver Member
I stay up late thinking up silly questions.

I noticed the thread on using other cm's inlay designs and the general dislike of those who do.

I know I have seen many copies of similar or even the exact design or styles.

My question is ..... has any design on a cue ever been copyrighted???


Kim
 
Arnot Wadsworth said:
I believe all original creative works are copyrighted.


http://copyright.gov/help/faq/faq-general.html
Click to expand...

Wow..... I didn't know that........(what the site says)

Who Can Claim Copyright?
Copyright protection subsists from the time the work is cre*
ated in fixed form. The copyright in the work of authorship
immediately becomes the property of the author who cre*
ated the work. Only the author or those deriving their rights
through the author can rightfully claim copyright.


So, the way I take it, anyone that copies another's work.... (including so called tribute cues) is in violation of copyright laws if they don't have expressed authorization from the orginator.

thanks Arnot...............

Kim
 
whammo57 said:
Wow..... I didn't know that........(what the site says)

Who Can Claim Copyright?
Copyright protection subsists from the time the work is cre*
ated in fixed form. The copyright in the work of authorship
immediately becomes the property of the author who cre*
ated the work. Only the author or those deriving their rights
through the author can rightfully claim copyright.


So, the way I take it, anyone that copies another's work.... (including so called tribute cues) is in violation of copyright laws if they don't have expressed authorization from the orginator.

thanks Arnot...............

Kim
Click to expand...
Technically...yes.

You must file with the copyright office and get it official in order for the work to have any teeth. Photographs have a year of grace after they are taken. For instance. A photographer these days sends in a batch at a time on CD's within that time.

I can't comment on other things, as I have not researched other things in the copyright department. I can say, with confidence, that if you don't get the copyright's office in DC to stamp it then you are probably SOL.

Even if you do get a copyright on a design, then comes enforcing. That can be a drawn out process that means alot of attorney fees.

Most cuemakers are near broke anyway, so getting paid will be a problem as well.

IMO, it is best to let it go or talk to the offender personally and ask him/her to stop. That is as far as I would go. If a large cue company decides to mass produce a unique design that you have employed AND managed to copyright, that is another story.

I've seen Jerry McWorter's cues copied ver batum with stickers(Japan) and while he is frustrated, there isn't a whole lot to do about it(would be different in the States).
 
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