I would like to get some input on my designs, but they are not copyrighted. Should I worry about posting my designs here?

Re: I would like to get some imput on my designs, but they are not copyrighted.

This site has over 60,000 members, some of whom are dodgy. So we can't guarantee anything.

A few things to bear in mind though:
-The site/design review section (where you would post) isn't indexed by Google, only logged in members can see it
-The actual number of people who will see the thread is considerably less than 60,000.
-You're going to have to show them some time to sell them, and the sooner you start the sooner you can get feedback (feedback before spending money can be useful)
-Your designs are copyrighted from the moment they're put in fixed form (i.e. when you design them), they're just not registered for copyright. If you register within three months of creating the design, you get the same benefits as if you'd registered it straight away (from copyright.gov: "If registration is made within three months after publication of the work or prior to an infringement of the work, statutory damages and attorney’s fees will be available to the copyright owner in court actions. Otherwise, only an award of actual damages and profits is available to the copyright owner.") Which means if the designs are new, and someone copied them, you could still register the copyright and sue them with full effect.
-Pirates already have Threadless, T-shirt Hell, Busted Tees, etc. to steal from. They tend to steal proven designs. If they knew what kind of original work sold, they'd be less likely to be stealing.
-If you're that concerned, just register them

Personally I think worrying about design theft is a waste of time. But as I said, there are no guarantees (here or anywhere). Some people would recommend watermarking your images to at least make them harder to copy. Personally I think it's unprofessional, but many people would beg to differ.

As a side note, theft paranoia is 100 points on the "spot the newbie" scale. Not really relevant posting around here (since it's fine to be a newbie), but something to bear in mind if you're in a situation where impressions are more important.

Re: I would like to get some imput on my designs, but they are not copyrighted.

Lewis, in what you posted it say "or prior to an infringement of the work." Doesn't that sound like it means it has to be registered prior to an infringement for the full benefits? Yet it say to collect the attorney fees, etc. Why mention collecting the fees unless it's been infringed within the 3 months of publication, and on the same note, why add or prior to infringement? Seems like a catch 22. What do you see?


Joshua, even if you register your work for the official copyright and post it here, that won't stop someone from stealing it. Anyone can steal your work at any time. It will be your job to sue them in a court of law to stop them from doing that, and maintaining your copyright. If you don't defend it, you may lose it. If you click the link to the copyright.gov site on the left, you can read more on copyright, and what protection and rights it gives you. Having the official copyright filed gives you a strong legal leg to stand on, makes it tough to dispute your claim. Does that make sense?