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In this interconnected, social-media-driven-era that creates word-of-mouth at warp speeds, entrepreneurs need to understand which aspects of their business can be protected. This is because an item deemed ‘cool’ can benefit from lots of exposure and fans, which is great, but significant positive attention also attracts imitators, which is not so great.

The good thing is that there are several ways to protect your unique product sold on the web by utilizing the wonders of copyright law.

And when it comes to IP Protection, remember what your health teacher always preached, the best protection is early protection. This means that even when you post an item for sale on a webpage (or your Etsy Store, etc.), it requires that you exercise PROACTIVE ACTION (yes, you must do a little extra work).

For example, for those photographers and instragramers out there, an easy way to protect your work is by adding a watermark on photographs you use to sell and display your products (or simply to express your talent). The watermark brands the photograph as yours;  acts as a deterrent to others from taking your photo outright or use it to sell their own wares; and can help prove that you are the original creator of the photograph in case of a dispute.

In general, copyright law helps protect designs provided they are your original works of expression. This applies to jewelry designs, t-shirt designs, general apparel graphics, posters, photos, artwork, and much more!

Note: It is important to know that one cannot sue to enforce federal copyright laws against infringers unless and until the work is registered with the US Copyright Office. State copyright laws vary by state and an attorney in your state should be consulted.