What does © mean and when is it used?

Just as ® is used to signal that a mark is a registered trademark, the © symbol is used for copyrighted works. The “C” in the © symbol stands for “copyright”.

The symbol is used in connection with a work, such as a painting, photograph, a film, some music or even a website where the owner wants to signal to the outside world that the work is protected by copyright.

Copyright is an exclusive right for the author to make copies of the work and to make it available to the public. The right is established upon the creation of the work, if the work can be characterized as a literary or artistic creation and meets the requirements for originality.

It is not a requirement for protection that © is used, but the symbol can be used to signal to others that you consider your work to be copyright protected and that they may not use it without your permission.

If your work is not copyrighted, it may still be protected by other rights, e.g. rights under the Marketing Act, which you can read more about here.

In certain countries, e.g. USA and China, it is possible to register copyrights. Registration of copyrights can be important in some countries, as it can have an impact on the possibility of being able to claim compensation if one’s copyright is infringed. This is not the case in Denmark, where it is not possible to register copyright at all.

In Denmark, copyright lasts as a general rule from creation until 70 years after the author’s death. The author may transfer his rights to third parties.

SAVI can help you if you have questions about copyright in Denmark or in other jurisdictions where we can seek assistance via our global network of local IPR experts.

Also, read about the use of ® and TM here.