How to Copyright a Character from a Film

As a filmmaker, you’re bound to produce films that have exceptional characters within them. That draw the interest of the audience more so than any other element of the film. In fact, a fictional character within your film might be so profound. That an added need to protect its unique details, characteristics, and arcs becomes necessary. Likewise, you might want to learn how to copyright a character from a film before you’ve actually created the film itself. Especially in the event that you will incorporate the same character into multiple productions or across several series.

Copyrighting Fictional Characters

Sometimes, a fictional character will become the “star” of the show drawing interest from audiences. And attracting unique attention above and beyond original expectations.

Copyrighting fictional characters that stand apart from the television shows and films. That they’re a part of represents a gateway to using these characters to launch franchised series or individual entities specifically related to the character himself. 

Consider This

In the past, we’ve seen characters copyrighted for the protection of the character’s unique features. As well as to ensure that no future imposition occurs in regards to someone stealing the character, his unique characteristics.

Or the work that went into actually creating the character for the film. For instance, James Bond and Hannibal Lecter are characters that have been protected by U.S. Copyright.

But we’ve also seen many cartoon characters and animated characters protected too. Such as SpongeBob, Fred Flintstone, and Garfield have also been copyrighted.

What’s Required to Copyright a Character from a Film?

As an author, screenwriter, or filmmaker you might be wondering what is necessary in order to copyright a character from a film. According to U.S. Copyright Law, and citing past copyright infringement accusations.

It has been stated that “the less developed the character, the less they can be copyrighted; this is the penalty an author must bear for making them too indistinctly.”

What does this mean? Essentially, it means that in order for a film character to be under full protection by copyright the filmmaker must take steps to create a very unique character arc that stands out and has distinct qualities above and beyond the basic.

A character that is standard or is hardly unique in any major ways is less likely to be able to be protected. However, the more features and individual qualities that can apply to a character, the more copyrightable the character will be.

Learning How to Copyright a Character from a Film

As a filmmaker, learning how to copyright a character from a film is a matter of first taking steps to individualize your characters so that they have distinct qualities about them.

Distinct features such as their appearance, their emotions, their characteristics, and their underlying character arcs play a key role in your copyright registration. Fictional characters are protected by copyright technically when they are created in a published format.

Such as a motion picture. However you must register your copyright in order to claim the character as well as to sue for copyright infringement should your character ever be infringed.

In Summary

To register your character copyright, visit the U.S. Copyright Office website and apply for registration for the work in which your character is included.

There is not an individual copyright registration for each character, but you will find registration for the film or other work that you’ve created which includes the character or characters that you wish to protect.