In short
“All Rights Reserved” means that the creator or copyright holder retains the rights to their work and has not granted general permission for others to copy, modify, distribute, or reuse it.
It is a notice of rights, not a copyright registration and not an absolute prohibition against every possible use.
In long
What does this mean?
Unless otherwise stated or permitted by law, you may not:
- copy, reproduce, or republish my work;
- use or redistribute it in your own projects without permission;
- modify or present it as your own work;
- use it for commercial purposes;
- remove copyright or attribution information.
If you would like to use one of my works, please contact me first so that the intended use can be discussed and, where appropriate, permission can be granted.
Does this mean that I automatically own the copyright?
Not exactly.
The phrase “All Rights Reserved” does not create copyright by itself. Copyright generally arises automatically when an original work is created.
For example, if I create an original motion graphic for a project and publish it in my portfolio, the copyright does not suddenly appear because I added “All Rights Reserved” to the website.
The work was already protected by copyright. The notice simply communicates that I retain the relevant rights.
Why is there a © symbol?
You may also see the following notice on this website:
© 2026 Borys Popov — All Rights Reserved
The © symbol stands for copyright.
The notice identifies:
- © — copyright;
- 2026 — the year indicated for the copyright notice;
- Borys Popov — the person or rights holder associated with the work;
- All Rights Reserved — the rights are retained by the rights holder.
Does “All Rights Reserved” mean that nobody can ever use my work?
No.
Copyright does not necessarily mean that every possible use of a work is prohibited.
Instead, it means that the copyright holder has not given a general licence allowing people to freely use the work.
Copyright law contains exceptions that can allow certain uses without obtaining permission from the copyright holder. The exact rules depend on the applicable law and the specific situation.
For example, some forms of quotation, criticism, review, parody, education, or other legally permitted uses may be subject to exceptions.
What if there is no “All Rights Reserved” notice?
The absence of this notice does not automatically mean that a work is free to use.
A photograph, video, illustration, piece of music, animation, or other original work can still be protected by copyright even if there is no copyright symbol or notice attached to it.
Before using someone else’s work, you should therefore check whether the creator has provided a licence or permission for that use.
Can I use content from this website as inspiration?
You are free to be inspired by creative work, but inspiration is not the same as copying.
For example, seeing a particular animation style on this website and creating your own animation inspired by general ideas is different from downloading the original animation, changing a few elements, and publishing it as your own.
What about work created for a client?
Not every work displayed in a portfolio necessarily has the same rights situation.
Some projects may have been created for clients, employers, schools, organisations, or other parties. In such cases, ownership and usage rights may depend on the agreement under which the work was created.
Where a project involves third-party material, client-owned material, licensed assets, music, fonts, stock footage, or other content, the applicable rights and licences may differ.
Why is this notice on this website?
This notice is here to make the intended use of the portfolio clear.
This website is primarily a portfolio of creative work. The projects shown here are intended to demonstrate my skills, experience, and creative work — not to provide a library of material for unrestricted reuse.
If you are interested in using a particular work for a legitimate purpose, the appropriate approach is to ask for permission rather than assume that the work is free to use.