In the United States your original website text, photos, artwork and code are protected automatically once they are fixed in a tangible form, with no filing required. To strengthen that protection, add a notice such as © 2026 Your Name, and register key works with the US Copyright Office, which you must do before suing over a US work.
| Usually protectable | Not protectable by copyright |
|---|---|
| Articles, blog posts and page copy you wrote | Ideas or plans for a future website |
| Your own photographs and illustrations | Domain names and URLs |
| Video and music you created | Layout, format or look and feel of a page |
| Original selection and arrangement of content | Functional design elements, names, icons, familiar symbols |
Updated
This page gives general information about US copyright as published by the US Copyright Office. It is not legal advice; for a specific dispute or a valuable body of work, talk to a qualified attorney. Use the notice builder below for your footer, then read what registration adds.
Uses the © entity, the first publication year and the owner. Add the current year as a range if the content keeps changing.
<footer>
<p><small>© 2019–2026 Harbor Street Bakery LLC. All rights reserved.</small></p>
</footer>Circular 66 explains that each work on a site is registered by its main type: a blog post as a literary work, photos as visual art, music as a performing arts work. Several works may sometimes go on one application using group options.
A registration of the whole site as a compilation covers only the version and elements in your deposit that you fully own. A site that changes daily cannot be covered in one go, so focus on the pieces that matter most.
Collect evidence first: screenshots with dates and the addresses of the copied pages. Many hosts and search engines have a takedown process for copyright complaints.
If you expect to need court remedies, speak to an attorney about registration timing. This page cannot assess your situation.
The original content on it is. The Copyright Office says a work is protected the moment it is created and fixed in a tangible form. The site as a whole is not a recognised category, but it can sometimes be registered as a compilation or collective work.
Not legally for works published after March 1, 1989, according to Copyright Office Circular 3. It still names the owner for anyone seeking permission, and the circular notes it may stop a defendant from limiting damages with an innocent infringement defence.
As of October 2026, the Copyright Office fee schedule lists $45 for an online Single Application (one author, same claimant, one work, not made for hire) and $65 for the Standard Application. Check the fee page before filing, as fees change.
Registration creates a public record, is required before you can file an infringement suit over a US work, and can make statutory damages and attorney's fees available in a successful case.
For works created by an individual since 1978, the life of the author plus 70 years. For works made for hire, 95 years from first publication or 120 years from creation, whichever ends first.
The general layout, format and look and feel are listed by the Copyright Office as not copyrightable. Original artwork, photos and text within the design can be protected individually.
Related: Terms and conditions generator, Privacy policy generator, Legal notice generator, How to buy a domain.
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