Should original designs be copyrighted?
 

In the early 80s I was publishing a club newsletter which contained quite a number of my original designs. Many of those designs were picked up by, and republished by "Model Rocketeer" magazie: for example, my flying Pyramid, the Infinite Square (an all square version of the Infinite Loop tube-stabilized design), and the Moondipper (made of styrofoam cups)

By publishing plans for my designs, I hoped people would build and enjoy them as much as I had. I suppose I assumed that I would somehow be credited for the idea. Now I see some on my designs being offered for sale as kits. It never occurred to me to copyright my designs. Should I have?

I think you should always release anything in public domain copyrighted. I wont release anything otherwise. Embarrassingly, I have tons of unpublished stuff, yet to see the light of day.

Just do a "Poor Man's" copyright to your designs. Those are suppose to be legitimate proof. You can't copyright a recipe, but you sure can copyright a work of art.

My father created the Moondipper from styrofoam cups back in the late 60's. He also designed a tube finned rocket way before it's time. Too bad we didn't realize how innovative we were back in those days.

You're right!!! I'd forgotten that! Now I'm sorry I didn't give him credit. Somehow I had it in my head that it was an idea that Kenny Moore (may he rest in peace) was toying with. You know I was always very keen on giving credit to people for their designs.

Not to worry LB. It was a reference thing anyway. We had no idea what we were creating could be an influence to the rocket community in those days. It was all about flying weird stuff with rocket motors anyway. I really don't remember my dad's Moondipper being a successful launch anyway. I think it sorta broke up in mid flight. His idea was all about building something light weight that was kinda large. His tube fin rocket was impressive though. 6 toilet paper tubes around a Cmas wrapping paper tube with a modified cone of sorts proved to work quite well.

Copyright is automagical now. If you do not get credit you can ask for it and if it is not forthcoming you can make a demand letter under copyright law rights. You own everything you create outright.

Rocketry press is largely vanity press to begin with. Each item has a small audience of interested folks and in aggregate the audience is a whopping 5100 people worldwide.

It is time to fix the distribution model.

Just Jerry

As Jerry said, the copyright is automatic upon first publication - no notice or registration is required. But, you are afforded more protection under the copyright laws if you register your copyright. Everything you need to know is at:

http://www.copyright.gov/circs/circ1.pdf

-- Roger

BTW, a "Poor Man's" copyright (sealing the item in an envelope and mailing it to yourself) has never, as far as I know, been recognized by any court in the US. It would be too easy to fake, the proof is ruined when you open the envelope to use it, and ... if you're going to mail it anyway, why not mail it to the Library of Congress and officially register the copyright?

-- Roger

I will answer your original question with ONE word, NO !

The new auto-copyright laws are a joke to protect the stupid and ill-prepared.
I for one am sick and tired of laws designed to protect the lowest-common-denominator idiots in society.
Those LOSERS NOT doing their due diligence DESERVE TO BE FLEECED !!!