Copyrighting, copywrite, copywright, copyrighted?

Common misspellings and misconceptions

Copyrighting, copywrite, copywright, copyrighted, along with other favorites such as copywritten, copywriter or copywrighter, are terms we hear and see a lot, and generally highlight a slight misunderstanding of legal terms.

Copy-right, copywrite or copywright
These are simply very common misspellings of the word copyright.
Copyrighting, copyrighted and copywritten
A very common question is, “How do I go about copyrighting my work?” or “How do I get my work copyrighted, or copywritten?”. This demonstrates a misunderstanding of the legal position and how copyright actually occurs.

Copyright itself is an automatic right that occurs at the point the work is fixed in a tangible manner, i.e. when it is recorded or written down. It is therefore not strictly speaking possible to have your work copywritten, (indeed this is not even a real word), as you will already hold the copyright.

There is a distinct difference between the existence of copyright and registration. Copyright exists whether the work is registered or not, but without registration you may have a difficult time proving it in a dispute. It is perhaps best to think of registration as insurance in case someone decides to steal your work.
Copywriter or copywrighter
The word copywriter (sometimes misspelt as copywrighter), actually means someone who writes copy, especially in the field of advertising, but commonly, (though incorrectly), copywriter is also used to describe the UK Copyright Service - who hold copies of copyright works as evidence of the author’s claims.

Further information

The following pages and links provide further information which you may find useful.