Yes, furniture designs are copyrighted. But before we dive into the nitty-gritty details, let’s talk about what copyright actually is.
Copyright is a form of intellectual property law that protects original works like books, music, movies, artwork, and more. The copyright holder—the person who created the work—has a right to certain exclusive rights that protect their creation from being copied without permission. These rights include reproduction, distribution, public performance, and adaptation of the work.
This means that you cannot use someone else’s copyrighted work without their consent or without getting an exception from the law (such as fair use). It also means that if you create something yourself—even if it doesn’t involve any actual copying—you still have to protect your own work by registering it with the government in order to keep others from stealing it or using it for their own purposes without compensation for your time and effort.
It also means that if somebody does steal your work (whether they copy it outright or just take some ideas from yours), then they owe you money! In fact, this is one of the ways artists make money on their art: by suing people who steal from them.