Is the look and feel of a website protected by copyright law?
An individual may own copyrights to the code and graphical design of a website. In order for a website user interface to be considered copyrightable subject matter, it must be both fixed in a “tangible medium of expression” and original. The code creating the look and feel of a website is fixed on a file in the hard drive, so it is likely considered a “tangible medium of expression.” To find a work is original, there must be some independent creation by the author, and some minimal degree of creativity. Just because an individual puts time and effort into a work does not necessarily make the work original. Although the level of creativity required is low, it may be difficult to find the originality required for copyright protection in simplistic websites that just arrange facts or information. If, however, the visual user interface component contains some graphics or a creative, visual presentation, it will likely be considered original. Once it is determined that a website is copyrigh
