Can ideas be copyrighted? This is a question of great importance. The answer to this question depends on whether the work was produced with intent and in the public domain. For example, if you copied an idea from another author, it would be difficult for you to make any profit. It is also possible to infringe upon another person’s copyright by using their work without their express permission. If it were in the public domain, then you would have no problem.
Many copyright laws today allow for the distribution of copies and derivatives of works to be sold. But, it must be sold “without explicit or implied permission.” If it is copyrighted, then distribution without explicit or implied permission is strictly prohibited. This means that if you distribute an idea, poem, article, etc., you are doing something illegal under the law without the copyright holder’s express permission.
The first thing that you must remember when considering whether ideas Can ideas be copyrighted is that they must have been produced with intent. Even if the idea was your own, you still need to hold the copyright to its claim knowing that this is a unique idea and you want it protected. You will not get copyrights for general ideas which are of public domain. For instance, if your idea is a recipe in a public domain which is an available recipe, you will not get a patent for this idea.
However, some original works are protected from being copyrighted. For example, if you are looking at paintings or sculptures, you can generally assume that they were created in a limited license, and therefore they can generally not be copyrighted. Likewise, if there is any type of dancing in work, you can generally assume that it was created for artistic purposes, and therefore, it cannot be copyrighted.
In general, unless you move your idea into something tangible, you will have difficulty getting any patents on it. A view in itself is only something that you have in your mind and can be seen as a medium of expression that anyone else can have. So for you to make sure your unique idea remains yours, you will have to move it in some form of tangible medium of expression such as writing it down. Once you have your idea in a tangible form, you will then have the basis to patent that idea. Of course, you will be required to come up with the idea that stands out as one of a kind!
