Copyright information

On Morgan Mandel's Blog [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]
She did an article on ebooks that includes this link [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.] to a podcast on copyrights. It is from Missouri Law, but the copyright information should be good for the entire U.S. It has a link to copyright your works electronically ($35. rather than $45 by hand written submission) and useful information concerning internet publications.

You work is already protected by copyright the moment you create it. You don't have to pay anyone. You can send it in and go through the forms with the U.S. Copyright Office if you want, but there is no need to.

Everything you create is automatically protected by copyright law. The trick is actually enforcing it.

All you are doing is "registering" your copyright when you pay. You already have the copyright the minute you set pen or whatever to paper or whatever. If it is registered it is easier to enforce, or fight if you have to, an infringement on your copyright.

Hope that helps some.

Copyright is automatic upon creation of the work. What you have to pay for is having the copyright registered. Registering a copyright makes it easier to inforce, but one does not need to pay to claim the rights to one's own work. For more imformation see [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]

Yes, copyright registration does indeed make it much easier to make a claim for plagiarism.

It is true that you do not need to register your copyright but doing so give you several benefits.

You can sue for statuatory damages, as well as punitive. Without registering, you can only sure for the money they made off your work. With registering you can sue for damages as well.

And as always, don't register unpublished works. It's not needed and a waste of money.

deleted by merri

I doubt if anyone would want to put their name on a manuscript littered with typing/grammatical errors. It wouldn't be a matter of your word against theirs because your words wouldn't be good enough. Protecting ideas is another matter altogether and Don can give you very good examples of how songs performed by amateur songwriters are polished and perfected by professional song writers and make it into the charts. This is a tough business.

Yes, copyright registration does indeed make it much easier to make a claim for plagiarism.

It is, in fact necessary. But how many get to that point?

WGA registration is an alteernative many use if they are showing work around. But if you want to sue, you have to register the copyright.


There is no way to protect ideas. Certain ideas can be patented, but not copyrightde.

Lin,
I suppose you don't think OJ Simpson's method of getting back what rightfully belonged to him was the correct path to take. At least the court didn't think so. A legal way to get justice sure beats jail time.

If I planned a series of books with a unique theme, I'd be sure to get it copyrighted. I'm not so sure a true story needs that process. Whatever the genre, if it makes the author feel more secure, by all means do it. It is like buying insurance.
Lin, do you know where I can buy insurance to protect me from being hit by a flying saucer. There have been many sightings recently in the UK.

Okay, ya stumped me, Abe.

deleted by merri

Just a generalisation, Merri. When I sent my first manuscript to a London publisher for the first time, I signed every sheet of paper. If ever there was a warning sign for a publisher, that must rate among the best ... and yes, it was littered with mistakes.

However, by the time PA insisted on registration of copyright before my manuscript would be accepted for publication, I was smart enough to realise that it was to protect PA and not to protect me. PA wanted to be sure that the work was mine and they would not be sued for copyright infringement. Quite right too.

Actually, what they wanted to assure is that if lawsuits came it would be you they nailed, not them.
And yeah, they'd be nuts not to.

I currently have two of my books being sold by publishers in the US who don't have the right to do so. One of these days I'll be up there with a few bucks for a lawyer and they are going to be SO sorry.

I agree with Abe that protection of a "high concept" is a consideration. You can't really copyright it and it's a tough area of rights. It's why there is all the "sign this before I'll look at your work", "Okay, but you sign THIS before I'll show it to you" stuff in Hollywood.

If have a couple of scripts I will only show to people I know or who know people I know.

deleted by merri

I wrote a "primer" on Copyright, and how it's different from publishing rights (a lot of beginners confuse the two). I'm sure most of the folks here don't need this level of informaton, but if anyone is interested, it's posted on Writer Beware's blog.

Just search on "Copyright 101" and it will turn up.

-Ann C. Crispin
Chair, Writer Beware
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Writer Beware's Blog

Ann,

I have had your blog on my blogroll for some time. I just checked out your postings on Copyright 101. It was full of good information for authors, publishers, and book advocates. Thank you for telling us about it.

I even checked the comments. The one that caught my eye was the fact that publishers get the copyright for the author. I thought all authors knew this. Then I was reminded that many authors I talk to are amazed when I tell them it is part of publishing their book. I just wish there was one place that all the info could be so that ALL authors, especially new ones, could access it and be more knowledgeable. That is one reason there are so many unhappy authors out there: lack of knowledge when trying to get a book published.

Thanks again, Ann!