10 types of works that can also be registered

We often find ourselves in doubt about what can be registered (and how); what falls under copyright law and what doesn’t.

In this article we’ll briefly talk about 10 types of creations that maybe you didn’t know you could register, along with some useful advice to know how to protect them.

There are many other types of creative works outside this list that fall under copyright protection and that you can register using Safe Creative (novels, drawings, movies…). If you have doubts about a type of work that is not mentioned here, leave us a message!

1. Comic characters: comics are obviously protected by copyright law, just like any original drawing. Consequently, comic characters generate rights for themselves. Our recommendation to protect your original characters is to create a PDF featuring several views of each character, along with their name and personality, and register it.

2. Computer programs: we aren’t talking about what the program does, but about the code itself. As if it were a piece of literature, but written in a programming language instead of a human language. In fact, in USCO we must select ‘literary work’ to register this type of work!

3. Instagram: Instagram photos and videos, as artistic works, can be registered. One might question whether they are works of art or not, but better to register your selfies than regret it later if someone uses them without permission.

4. Comments on social networks: any initial post that provokes a debate could be registered, but so can comments in many cases. Sometimes they can be extensive and take a lot of work. They are indeed original and creative works. It is not too much of a stretch to register those texts, because there is always people who might be tempted to use them without permission. (Don’t mistake this with the right to quote!)

5. Speeches: if someone records your speech, you can register yours by using, for instance, that recording. You can also just register it as text. We have all had a dream at some point, right?

6. Lectures: it’s not expected that we all have give a lecture someday, but when we have to give it, we all understand the work it entails. Not just text, but also other contents to make our points and share information effectively. You can absolutely register your lectures using audiovisual materials, text, or both.

7. Brochures, catalogues: these works are often overlooked, but did you know that brochures and catalogues are often copied by competitors, who introduce simple changes? That is why, when in doubt, if you are making an effort to make your business stand out with these works, it is better to register them.

8. School lessons: do you teach in college or university? Or online? You know the work it takes to prepare and teach a class. Objective data can’t be registered, but the way things are presented and taught is a creative process that produces original and creative work. Videos, images, presentations, specific texts that convey complex ideas in few words… All of these can be registered in Safe Creative.

9. Translations: a translation is a derivative work, but no two translations, made by two different people, are the same. Each translator has their own style, and if you are a translator yourself you know that it’s a creative task. Hence, the translations are protected by copyright and it is convenient to register them, especially if they have been done from third-party works.

10. Choreographies, pantomimes: a dance, or a certain sequence of original and creative movements, is the type of work that, although difficult to visualize to register, is important to protect. How? Describing movements, steps and rhythms through text, perhaps illustrations, and ideally recording a video to show the choreography or pantomime.

Thanks to modern digital private records, protecting works like these is easier than ever.

Do you have doubts about other types of creation? Send us a message or leave a comment!