How to Copyright a logo UK
A copyright logo or copyright design is usually an original graphic that is used to denote a particular product or service. In order for a work to have copyright protection, it must reach a requisite level of creativity. Many logos, however, do not. Since copyright can’t protect a name, colours or the design of the logo, most simple logos simply do not have the required level of creativity to be considered copyrightable. However, many ornate or artistic ones do. And here lies the confusion with logos. Many of them actually qualify for both trademark and copyright protection. Differing from a trademark, copyrighting a logo means the owner will have exclusive rights to protect their work from being reproduced, so it’s a vital process if you want to safeguard your work from infringement.
If a logo would qualify for copyright protection as a piece of artwork separate from its use as a corporate identifier, it is copyright protected. Nothing in the law makes the two rights mutually exclusive so many logos can and are enforced using both trademark and copyright.
Some important points to remember when copyrighting a logo:
To ensure
your logo is copyrighted, you need to use the copyright symbol (©) within your
logo or right next to it.
You’ll also need to date your logo when it was created.
The easiest way to register a logo is to do it online.