Copyright Your Book
About 2 min read
You can protect your written material from others using it without your permission or providing you compensation by establishing a copyright on it.
This can be as simple as stating “Copyright © 2010 by (Your Name)” on the Copyright Page of your book. However, some people advise you to formally copyright your material through the U.S. Library of Congress Copyright office or the equivalent office in your country.
Questions you may have include:
- What protection does a copyright provide?
- What is a simple copyright?
- How do you register for a copyright?
This lesson will answer those questions. There is a mini-quiz near the end of the lesson.
Copyright protects your writing
A copyright states that you control the right to copy your material. In other words, people have to ask for permission to copy your material. You may even require compensation from people using your work.
Copyrights protect your work similar to the way patent laws protect an invention. However, a copyright is less expensive and much easier to obtain than a patent. The copyright protects everything in your book except the title. This includes your text, photographs, drawings and maps.
Simple copyright
According to the United States copyright laws and those of most other countries, once you write a manuscript—called “creating a work”—you are automatically protected by copyright.
It is enforceable, provided you include a notice of your copyright in the form of “Copyright © 2010 by (Your Name)” within the work.
The length of the copyright is for you life (the author’s life) plus fifty years. Thus, ownership of your book could be a valuable part of your estate and should be mentioned in your will.
Registration of a copyright
You can register your copyright with the Library of Congress (LOC) Copyright Office in the United States and similar government organizations in other countries.
Since simply stating your copyright is sufficient for protection, the formality of registering your copyright is usually required as a prerequisite of filing a lawsuit for copyright infringement.
Procedure to register
The procedure to register your book first requires that you have finished, printed copies of your book. Download the application form from the Copyright Office and fill it out. Complete the form and send it, along with copies of your book and the required fee to the Copyright Office.
Detailed instructions, the application form and other information are available at:
Simplified information on the copyright process is available at:
Summary
A copyright protects your written material from others using it without your permission. By stating “Copyright © 2010 by (Your Name)” on the Copyright Page of your book, you establish your copyright. However, in the case of a lawsuit, you need to formally copyright your material through the U.S. Library of Congress Copyright Office or the equivalent office in your country.
See side menu for more Self-Publishing topics
Protect your work
Resources
The following are some resources on this topic.
Websites
10 Big Myths about copyright explained
Mini-quiz to check your understanding
Self-check your understanding
What is the purpose of a copyright?
Where should you place your simple copyright notice?
When is a copyright registration necessary?
Pick an answer to see instant feedback. Re-read the lesson if you miss one.
If you got all three correct, you are on your way to becoming a Champion in Publishing. If you had problems, you had better look over the material again.
What do you think?
Do you have any questions, comments, or opinions on this subject? If so, send an email with your feedback. We will try to get back to you as soon as possible.
Also see Answers to Readers’ Questions.