Should I Register My Website for Copyright Protection?

[The riddler]

How do i copyright my website?

Hi all, I am making a website but I am worried about copyright. Could someone tell me how i could copyright my website (preferably for free) or whether or not i actually need to copyright it at all.

 

[mgb_phys]

In most countries it is automatically copyrighted to you by creating it (Berne convention) as with any other creative work.
If you have specific trademarks it is sometimes worth registering those (especially in the USA - where it allows you to claim damages)
But to actualy stop somebody ripping off your website - all you can do is have bigger and meaner lawyers than the other guy.

 

[mXSCNT]

In the USA you automatically have copyright whether you register it or not. But there are advantages to registering, if you think it is likely someone will violate your copyright, and you want to stop them:
http://inventors.about.com/od/copyrights/a/copyright_2.htm

On the other hand, registering costs money:
http://www.copyright.gov/docs/fees.html

 

[TheStatutoryApe]

In the USA you automatically have copyright whether you register it or not. But there are advantages to registering, if you think it is likely someone will violate your copyright, and you want to stop them:
http://inventors.about.com/od/copyrights/a/copyright_2.htm

On the other hand, registering costs money:
http://www.copyright.gov/docs/fees.html

Also note that if you do take someone to court over copyright infringement you will be required to register your copyright to recoup damages anyway.

Do you think it is even likely that you would sue someone for damages if they ripped off your website? Is your website design so amazing that it would be worth more than the associated costs of suing someone? With these sorts of things you really need to think about the practicality of it. Just because you technically could sue someone for something that they did does not mean that it is actually worth it to do so.