Everything you need to know about the copyright symbol ©

BUT FIRST ☝️. I’m breaking newsletter form because this is the most exciting thing I’ve written all year. And considering today’s Day 365, it must be big… ​ On January 7th, you get to be among the first to secure your copy of my book, When I Start My Business, I’ll Be Happy: A Practical No-BS Guide to Successful Online Entrepreneurship. January 7th is when pre-order starts. 🎉 Once you pre-order, you’ll be gifted some incredible bonuses. Full details coming on January 7th, but think: 😉 an email training to help you hit your first (or next) 2,000 subscribers 😉 a Virtual Book Club for entrepreneurs, hosted by me: ​ ADD JAN 7TH TO YOUR CALENDAR!

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Ok, back to our regularly scheduled program:

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I wanted to stop wasting time and start taking concrete steps to move forward.

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👆That’s the biggest reason people buy legal templates from my shop. But in the off chance, you aren’t planning to scoop up legal templates today…

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even though today is literally the last day you can reduce what you owe for 2024 taxes by investing in things you need - not just want - for your business, 🙃
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here’s one thing you can do for free: start using the copyright symbol → ©
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Here are the must-knows…
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• anybody can use the copyright symbol on anything that would qualify for copyright protection, there’s nothing fancy you need to do in order to use it
• to use it correctly, utilize (what I call) “the copyright formula™”
• the copyright formula™ is…
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© + [YEAR] + [YOUR BUSINESS NAME]
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​ (where year is the year you first produced the work)​
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• example: © 2024 Sam Vander Wielen LLC
• put that on your lead magnets, PDFs, course workbook, handouts, any documents you’re sharing
• by using the ©, you’re signifying to people that you created this, therefore you have the copyright on it
• common law copyright is the whole reason you can do this. You automatically get common law copyright the moment you create original work that qualifies

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However:
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Taking advantage of common law copyright and using the symbol is not the same thing as actually registering a copyright with the U.S. Copyright Office. When you register a copyright, you’ll significantly increase your level of protection.
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For example, you can only file a copyright infringement lawsuit in federal court if you’ve registered the copyright. And let’s say someone creates a work that’s super similar to yours, the court would lean heavily in your favor if you’ve registered it.
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There’s a lot more where that came from, but the main takeaway is:
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Yes, you can use the copyright symbol. Why not make 2025 the year you start using it?

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🔗 Links You'll Love

☝️Linking one last time because reflecting on your business year is an essential task no CEO should ever skip. ➡️ This month, we rolled out a 2-part series of the On Your Terms® podcast.
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In part 1, I walk you through a method to excavate what you learned about yourself and your business in 2024… what worked, what didn’t, which marketing channels rocked, which sucked, which item in your product suite actually contributed to your greatest returns, and so forth.
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Then in part 2, I share the assessment we use over here at Sam Vander Wielen LLC to establish your business goals for 2025. That way, you can hit the pavement, and start working towards them come Jan 1.

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🎧 Read/listen to Part 1: “The Online Business Year End Review That Could Transform Your 2025” here.​

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🎧 Read/listen to Part 2: “What You're Missing in Your 2025 Business Plan (I'll Fix It)” here.​
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​Stuff like this is what got me to 8 mil!

✔️ Finally, Your Task This Week

Unless you find it helpful, don’t feel the need to buy into the New Year energy of: let’s overhaul our lives and promise ourselves we’ll crush a million goals! ​
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You have 52 weeks ahead of you. You can set and follow through on goals any time of the year. Sure, you can leverage a healthy dose of New Years’ energy. In fact, it can be extremely helpful…
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(keyword: healthy dose)

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But allow space for those goals to evolve, pivot, or be so big and exciting, they take 3 years instead of 1. And if that happens, that’s ok.
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Stay safe tonight. 🌟
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Annnnd make sure you’ve added Jan 7th to your calendar! 🥳

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