Understanding Digital Asset Copyright

Why Do We Talk About IP and Copyright with Digital Assets?

In the digital age, assets like graphics, videos, e-books, and online content can be easily shared and copied. This increases the risk of unauthorized use or infringement of someone else’s intellectual property. By understanding IP and copyright, we can ensure that digital assets are used legally and that creators are compensated for their work.

What is Intellectual Property (IP) and Copyright?

Intellectual Property (IP) refers to creations of the mind, such as inventions, literary and artistic works, designs, symbols, names, and images used in commerce. It is a legal concept that grants creators certain exclusive rights to their creations, allowing them to control and benefit from their use. IP is essential in protecting innovations, encouraging creativity, and fostering economic growth.

Copyright is a specific type of intellectual property that protects original works of authorship, including written content, music, films, artwork, and digital designs. Copyright gives the creator the exclusive right to reproduce, distribute, perform, display, and create derivative works from their original piece. These rights typically last for the creator's lifetime, plus a set number of years (e.g., 70 years in many jurisdictions). Copyright helps prevent others from using or reproducing a creator's work without permission.

Types of Licenses

When purchasing or using digital assets, it’s crucial to know what rights come with those assets. These rights are often governed by different types of licenses, which specify how the asset can be used.

1. Single/Personal Use License:

   • What It Means: This license allows you to use a digital asset (e.g., graphic, template, or e-book) for your personal or individual purposes. You can’t sell, distribute, or share the asset with others.
   • Typical Use Cases: Creating a personal project, using a design on your own website, or producing materials for non-commercial use.
   • Restrictions: You cannot resell, redistribute, or make modifications for commercial purposes.

2. Private Label Rights (PLR):

   • What It Means: With PLR, you are granted broader rights to modify the digital asset and claim it as your own work. You can edit, rebrand, and sell it under your own name or business.
   • Typical Use Cases: PLR is commonly used in e-books, articles, or digital courses where buyers can rebrand and distribute the content as their own.
   • Restrictions: PLR content may still come with certain limitations (e.g., you may not be able to sell the PLR content to other marketers or give it away for free), depending on the provider.

3. Master Resell Rights (MRR):

   • What It Means: MRR allows you to sell the digital asset to others and grant them the rights to resell it as well. However, you usually can’t modify the asset itself, and you must keep it as-is when distributing or reselling.
   • Typical Use Cases: Selling pre-made products like software, e-books, or templates, where the end user can resell the item to others, continuing the cycle.
   • Restrictions: You cannot claim authorship or modify the asset. The key advantage is that you can profit by reselling the asset and granting resale rights to others.

Key Differences:

• Single/Personal Use: Limited to your own non-commercial projects, no reselling or redistribution.
• PLR: Full control to edit, rebrand, and sell as your own, but usually with restrictions on further distribution.
• MRR: You can sell the asset and give reselling rights to others, but without making changes to the original content.

LEARN MORE ON OUR COPYRIGHT PAGE