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Originally Posted by badtuna1 |  | | | | | | | | | Just make sure to put the copyright symbol, your name / date on every single piece even though you may have not officially copyrighted via the USPTO. | |  | |  | |
Copyrights are handled by the US Copyright Office, not the USPTO. It is my understanding that putting the copyright symbol, name and dates is no longer relevant, as far as protecting your rights is concerned. However, it might serve as a good reminder/deterrent to potential thieves, so it's probably not a bad idea.
As for the original question, it depends largely on the type of designs you are dealing with. Some types of designs are more likely to get copied. Funny, offensive, popular culture type stuff being some of those categories.
I don't think using smaller graphics on the web is the answer. It's not worth giving up the potential marketing power of large images for a pretty poor insurance policy.
Along the same lines, watermarking may be a good idea, but in most of the stolen designs that I've seen people complain about, the image is re-drawn, so a watermark or smaller picture wouldn't matter.
I know people hate to hear it, but there's a good chance your designs are going to get copied. The best way to combat it is to run a superior business. Give people reasons, in addition to your designs, to buy from you -- excellent customer service, community involvement (the community of your target audience), top quality products, a good story, whatever...