How to Get an International Copyright

There is no one copyright that will protect an author's work throughout the entire world. Copyright protection is based on each particular country's law. Most countries offer protection to foreign works under certain conditions. In some cases, the United States has signed copyright treaties with other nations. However, even the countries that have not signed an agreement with the United States can still offer the author some protection. Read on to learn how to get an international copyright.

Difficulty: Challenging

Instructions

1. Determine in which country or countries you would like to copyright your work. A list may be found on the U.S. Copyright Office website. You could also contact the particular country's trade representative at the country's embassy.

2. See what extent of protection is available to the works of foreign authors in those countries. You can find out which countries participate in the Universal Copyright Convention and the Berne Convention by visiting the U.S. Copyright Office website.

3. Protect your work before it is published anywhere since the time of publication could affect the international protection.

4. Download forms and get information on current fees at the Library of Congress website.

Tips & Warnings

• There are some countries that offer little or no copyright protection to any foreign works.
• Some countries require the "All Rights Reserved" statement following the copyright notice.
• Some countries have different laws regarding certain aspects of copyright laws.