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Do You Need To Complete a Copyright Form?
Should you file a copyright form? We've all heard the court cases where someone is being sued for copyright infringement, stealing a song, a copyright poem, or ripping off an idea for a movie.
It gives the owner the right to make copies of a given work. It protects your text, diagrams, and photographs --everything but the title.
Does Filing Your Copyright Legally Protect You?
Good News...
Protection begins as soon as you create an original work. Nothing else needs to be done...
no copyright forms to mail in...
no copyright notice needed on the document...
You may have even heard that it’s best to send a registered letter containing your manuscript to your lawyer for copyright protection– that’s incorrect.
You are protected in 165 countries around the world without doing anything else! You must be scratching your head, a question still remains...
So Why Bother to Formally Register Your Work?
It is easier to sue for infringement. If you register within 3 months of your book being published you are entitled to statutory damages and attorney fees... without having to prove damages.
What does that mean to you?
If you waited after that 3 month period to file your copyright form (or never filed at all), you would have to have your lawyer prove that you deserved damages. This is a long, expensive and difficult process. So, I tell every author...
"I Strongly Recommend You Register Your Copyright"
It may be easier to register at commercial copyright web sites. They submit the copyright form with the Government Office. Less hassle.
Registering not only protects your work it also achieves two things: It proves to the tax man that you are a writer and your deductions are warranted, and secondly it gives you the prestige of finally being a published author.
What Will a Publisher Do to Protect Your Work?
The author retains ownership of the work. The Publisher will not register the work on your behalf. Check to make sure the Publisher has included your copyright notice:
"Copyright © 2003 by Jane Doe. All rights reserved."
Technically the copyright symbol "©" and the word "Copyright" are both not necessary. One or the other will do. Ensure that you register within 3 months from publication.
Please Consult Your Lawyer
The opinions expressed on this web site should not be considered legal advice. Consult a copyright attorney in your area.
Resources
www.clickandcopyright.com - Files government copyright form for a fee. www.loc.gov/copyright/ copyright form - United States copyright office.