The National e-Commerce Extension Initiative
Southern Rural Development Center
Helping Artisans Reach Global Markets
Home
Home
General Overview
Home
Facilitation Tools
Home
Self-Paced Study
Home
  menu_item Artisans and Business
Home
  menu_item Stop and Think
Home
  menu_item Using the Internet
Home
  menu_item Sales Beyond Borderers
Home
  menu_item Creating Awareness
Home
  menu_item Marketing
Home
  menu_item Know the Craft Customer
Home
  menu_item Who is Shopping?
Home
  menu_item Artisan Competition
Home
  menu_item Search the Web
Home
  menu_item Types of Web Sites
Home
  menu_item Web Site Design
Home
  menu_item Selecting a Domain
      Name

Home
  menu_item Web Components
Home
  menu_item Editing and Revising
Home
  menu_item Copyright
Home
  menu_item Final Notes
go back
Page 16/17
Go Forward


rule of thumb
General Rule of thumb: If you made it, you own it, and its likeness.

Copyright is by far one of the most important legal issues that artisans have to deal with because of the creative process and the need to protect the artisan. The best source of information related to business laws protecting artisans’ work is the U.S. Patent and Copyright Office.

http://www.copyright.gov/register/visual.html

This site explains how to register a visual art and other artistic expressions. Also visit the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office for other useful information that may apply to your craft business.

http://www.uspto.gov

The best source of information related to business laws protecting consumers is the Federal Trade Commission

http://www.ftc.gov/ftc/business.htm

Note: For copyright purposes, visual arts are original pictorial, graphic, and sculptural works, which include two-dimensional and three-dimensional works of fine, graphic, and applied art.    

In almost every state in the United States there is a volunteer law association devoted to arts.

There are organizations that volunteer on a pro bono basis to artisans and their businesses.

http://www.talarts.org

Refer to Law in Plain English for Crafts by Leonard DuBoff.


go back
Page 16/17
Go Forward



Web site and all contents © Copyright SRDC 2009, All rights reserved.
CSREES These materials were developed as part of the Southern Rural Development Center’s National e-Commerce Extension Initiative. They are based upon work supported by the Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, under Award No. 2005-45064-03212

Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the view of the U.S. Department of Agriculture or the Southern Rural Development Center.