Copywriters & Copyrights: What You Need to Know

Definition of a copywriter: "A writer of advertising or publicity copy."*

Definition of copyrights: "The exclusive legal right to reproduce, publish, sell, or distribute the matter and form of something (as a literary, musical, or artistic work)."*

Assuming most people don't confuse what a copywriter does with what a copyright attorney does, these definitions are not provided to insult your intelligence. They're provided to start a discussion about the way some copywriting firms take advantage of businesses and claim intellectual property so they can make money on "both ends."

Here's how some copywriting firms operate:
1. You hire them to write copy for your marketing collateral (Web site, brochure, article, blog, etc.).
2. They write the copy for an agreed upon fee.
3. Their agreements include provisions that enable them to claim ownership of the copy as their intellectual property for which they must be paid every time it is used in print, online, etc. (this is where your eyebrows should raise).

In essence, this means that you're "on the hook" with them. They own the copy. They get to determine how you can use it, where you can use it, and when you can use it. They can profit from the copy long after you have paid them for the initial service for which you originally hired them.

Novo is different. Aside from the copywriting expertise you receive when you hire Novo to write your marketing materials, when you work with Novo you own 100% of the copy. We're committed to being ethical, fair, and professional. We believe you have the rights to the copy after we have been compensated for the original project.

We put our clients first. See what they have to say about us here.

Novo is simply about writing compelling, fresh, high-quality copy that effectively communicates your product and service offering. When it comes to copyrights, our agreement is very basic. In fact, the word "copyright" doesn't appear in the entire agreement. We only stipulate that we can put the copy we write for your project in our portfolio for the sole purpose of demonstrating our performance.

It's that easy. Don't let unscrupulous copywriting firms take advantage of you. Trust your copywriting to Novo.

Need help growing your business? Novo will create dynamic marketing copy to sell your products and services. And remember, we guarantee that you own the rights to the copy when the project is complete.

Take care of your business. Contact Novo today at 714.335.5677, email us at info@novowriting.com, or visit us online at http://www.novowriting.com/.

*Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary