copyright or patent? - Writers Forum

terrib · 08-08-2007, 11:05 AM

If I had an idea for lets say greeting cards that no one else had would it be protected by my copyright or would I need a patent? And since patents are so expensive is there any other way to protect your idea and writing without one? Thanks, Terri

Mallignamius · 08-08-2007, 02:28 PM

Definitely copyright. Start here:
U.S. Copyright Office

mammamaia · 08-08-2007, 07:03 PM

not a patent, unless you have a novel way to construct a greeting card, since patents are awarded for physical entities and innovative intellectual concepts [such as mathematical systems, scientific discoveries and such]

just the idea for the series and the writing itself is only in need of copyright registration, if you want to do that... otherwise, your automatic copyright will be in force anyway...

for all the info on both, go here:
United States Patent and Trademark Office Home Page

copyright info will be found in a link there...

hope this is helpful... if you want any help with the greeting card stuff, you can email me, as i dealt with biggie 'gibson' at one time, with a series of card concepts i'd come up with...

love and hugs, maia
maia3maia@hotmail.com

Mike C · 08-09-2007, 07:11 AM

As Maia says, if it's the words or images you want to protect, it's copyright. If it's something tricksy about the card (which would count as a novel invention, so just being made of different materials or folding the other way wouldn't count) you'd need a patent.

Patents are expensive, and more so than you'll ever hopefully have to find out. Once you have a patent, if someone infringes it, you have to be prepared to protect that patent in court, and you have to be prepared to lose. And if you lose, or fail to defend it, most times that patent will fall apart and become worthless.

Patents are for people with deep pockets or with a sharp exit strategy.