Copyrights & Trademarks: What Every Creator Should Know

Disclaimer: This blog post is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. I am not a lawyer. Please consult a qualified attorney to get personalized guidance for your business.

If you’re creating digital products like courses, printables, templates, or eBooks, you’ve probably had that moment of panic:

Wait... can someone steal my content?

Or maybe you’ve seen someone selling something eerily similar to your product and thought, “Can I protect this somehow?”

The short answer is yes. But there’s a lot of confusion out there around what you can copyright, what a trademark covers, and when you need to officially register something.

Let’s break it all down in simple, non-lawyer terms so you know how to protect your work and your brand without losing your mind (or your money).

What Is a Copyright?

A copyright protects original creative work. That includes things like:

Written content (eBooks, blog posts, course lessons)
Designs (printables, templates, digital planners)
Audio and video (podcast episodes, course videos)
Graphics, illustrations, and photos

The moment you create something original and put it into a “fixed form” (aka you write it down or design it in Canva), you automatically own the copyright. You don’t have to file anything for that protection to exist.

So if you wrote a digital guide, recorded a course, or designed a set of planner pages — it’s already yours under copyright law.

But here’s where it gets tricky…

What Copyright Doesn’t Cover

Copyright protects the expression of an idea, not the idea itself.

So you can’t copyright:

A general concept (like “a time management course for moms”)
A process or system (like a 3-step method for organizing your digital files)
Course titles, business names, or taglines

Those fall under a different category: trademarks.

**When You Should Register a Copyright**

You don’t have to register a copyright — but it gives you more protection if someone copies your work.

Here’s when registering is a good idea:

You’re selling a high-ticket course or signature product
You’re publishing a book
You’ve already had issues with copycats
You want the ability to sue someone for infringement

Registering your copyright makes it easier to prove ownership and gives you the right to seek damages in court.

It typically costs around $45 to register through the U.S. Copyright Office. If you’re in another country, check your local copyright authority.

What Is a Trademark?

A trademark protects your brand identifiers. That includes:

Business name
Logo
Product names or course names
Slogans or taglines

Unlike a copyright, you don’t automatically own a trademark just because you started using a name. You can have some basic rights just by using the name in your business, but registration gives you stronger legal protection.

Registering a trademark means no one else can use something similar in your industry. It also lets you send official cease-and-desist letters and gives you better footing if you ever have to take legal action.

When to Register a Trademark

Here’s when it might be time to trademark:

You’ve built a recognizable brand name or course title
You’re running ads or investing in big marketing campaigns
You plan to license your course or content
You want to prevent others from profiting off your name or confusion

It’s not something you need to do on Day 1. But once a name or brand becomes central to your business — and especially if it starts gaining traction — it’s worth protecting.

Trademark registration in the U.S. is handled by the USPTO, and it typically costs a few hundred dollars, depending on the category and how you file.

Real-Life Examples for Digital Product Creators

Let’s say you create a course called “The Focus Formula.”

You can copyright the lesson videos, downloadable PDFs, and the text inside your sales page.
You can’t copyright the name “The Focus Formula.” But you can trademark it if it becomes part of your brand.
Someone could create their own “focus system” course and not violate copyright, as long as they don’t copy your actual content.
But if they named it “The Focus Formula” and confused your audience, that’s where trademark protection would come in.

This is why both copyright and trademark are helpful. They protect different parts of your business.

What About AI-Generated Content?

This is a hot topic right now. In most countries, copyright does not apply to content created entirely by AI. The law says only work created by a human can be copyrighted.

If you’re using AI to help brainstorm or draft content, that’s fine — but you’ll want to revise and add enough of your original input to claim copyright ownership.

As AI tools evolve, the legal landscape might shift, but for now, just know that “click and publish” AI content likely doesn’t give you exclusive rights.

Simple Steps to Protect Your Work

You don’t need to lawyer up or spend thousands to start protecting your business. Here’s what you can do right away:

Include a “for personal use only” line in your product terms or on your download pages
If someone copies your content, send a polite takedown notice or file a DMCA complaint with their website host or social platform
If your brand name is gaining traction, consider filing a trademark (or at least Googling and checking the USPTO database to make sure no one else already owns it)

Final Thoughts

Copyrights and trademarks might sound intimidating, but they’re really just tools to help protect the work you’ve spent time, energy, and creativity building.

You don’t have to register everything right away. But knowing what you can protect, and when to take that extra step, can save you from major headaches down the line.

Focus on creating original content, putting your unique voice into your work, and being proactive about protecting your brand as your business grows.

KEEP READING:

Featured

Copyrights & Trademarks: What Every Creator Should Know