A universal form of adornment, the history of jewelry dates back over 25,000 years. The first forms of jewelry were made of feathers, bones, shells and stones and carried spiritual meanings. With the onset of the metal-era, jewelry became a sign of wealth and royalty. Today, jewelry is worn by the masses as a form of expression and adornment. The question exists – what types of protection are available to those who are creating these intricate pieces to claim ownership of creation and to prevent others from copying?

 

Is Copyright Protection Available for Jewelry Designs?

Copyright protection is available for jewelry designs that are original and sufficiently creative. Originality exists where designs are created independently by an author, absent copying of another’s creations. The level of creativity required is minimal although such creativity must exist.

Jewelry designs may contain elements that are not protected by US Copyright law, for example, circles, squares, loops etc. However, the combination of these elements in a design, where their selection and arrangement entails a minimal degree of creativity, may be considered original thereby affording copyright protection to that design.

Why Apply for a Copyright Registration?

While copyright protection subsists the moment that a design is created in a fixed form, registration provides many benefits that are not otherwise available. Registration within the first five years after publication provides presumptive proof of ownership. Also, a copyright owner may only file a lawsuit if they own a registration. Early registration provides an opportunity to recover up to $150,000 per infringed work, if the infringement is willful. To sum it up, the benefits of registration in view of the reasonably low cost of submitting an application for registration should make applying for registration a fairly easy decision when available.

Do I have to submit an application for each design in my collection individually?

Multiple pieces may be registered under one application in some instances. This is done by submitting an application for a group of unpublished works. Registration of a group of works provides protection for all of the pieces in the group in one registration. To qualify (for the purposes of a single copyright application), all of the pieces have to have to be unpublished and have the same owner. A maximum of 10 pieces can be submitted in a single application.

With popular sites such as Etsy and Bonanza providing marketplaces for creators of handmade items, obtaining copyright registrations can prove a beneficial step in protecting against sellers who create pieces “inspired” by the original.

The US Copyright Office provides resources that are helpful to jewelry designers and artists generally. The Office’s FAQs page is a great start for a general understanding of copyright law and the US Copyright Office’s services. Specific questions regarding securing protection and enforcing rights against others should be directed to an attorney experienced in copyright law.

 

---

**The information provided on and through this website is for informational purposes only and not for the purpose of providing legal advice. You should contact an attorney to obtain advice with respect to any particular issue or problem. Use of and access to this website, blog and any of the e-mail links contained within this website do not create an attorney-client relationship**