Copyright Law Day 2025 is on Wednesday, January 1, 2025: Confused about Copyright laws?

Wednesday, January 1, 2025 is Copyright Law Day 2025.

Sponsored Deals

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Check Price

You probably know this – copyright law isn’t probably the most exciting of products. However, without them, we’d finish up fighting and squabbling over who is the owner of what, what comprises fair usage, and spend all of our time attempting to defend our ideas and ip. Copyright law is one thing we most likely ignore many of the time, so take the time on Copyright Law Day to think about exactly what the world could be like when the law didn’t safeguard your opinions and stuff you produce.

First, it is important to point out the differences between "copyrights" and "trademarks."

Copyrights are for complete works and intellectual property. Trademarks are for logo's, titles and other "identifiers." Your shirt would fall under trademark law.

In short, it COULD be considered infringement as you are using licensed logos for your personal use. If you are having the clothing made for you and paying for it, the person making it is actually the one infringing. In any case, if your use is personal and isolated, you would likely never be bothered. Fans wear homemade gear to stadiums every day of the week.

It is indeed illegal.

If you display it, you are generally assumed to own the rights to it, If you don't own such rights, then it's a misrepresentation, and thus, violation of law.

There are some Caribbean pictures available, like those on Wikipedia, or those under Creative Commons license, that are legal to copy and reuse. However, those are quite rare, and you must specifically search for them.

In general, if they author doesn't SAY "you can use this (with conditions)", assume "don't use this".

EVERY thing published (i.e. viewable by public) is automatically copyrighted, whether explicitly stated or not. That's the way copyright works.

---

Kasey C, PC guru since Apple II days

Give me ambiguity or give me something else.

The moment you write your story, you own the copyright. You don't need to do anything.

I suggest that you not post your story online. Even though you own the material, people think that everything on the Internet is free for them to use however they want to. Posting your stuff online also makes it "previously published" in the eyes of publishers, which means they'll be less likely to want to publish it themselves (if people have already read it, why would they want to pay for it?).

Some people might tell you to print your work, put it in an envelope, and mail it to yourself (not opening the envelope when you receive it). Don't do it. It's a waste of paper, postage and the postal service. It proves nothing and has no legal standing.

Many new authors believe that there are people out there just waiting to steal someone's story or novel so they can publish it themselves. This is flat out not true. Publishing is a hard business and pays so little, that it's not worth a thief's time and effort. Don't worry--your work is safe.