How to Copyright Your Book

Congratulations, you've written a book! And now it's time to protect yourself with a copyright. But how do you do this? What's it all about? This article will explain and give you valuable information.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

1. Your work is automatically protected from the moment it's written! Yes, it's true. You don't need to file an official copyright to have your work copyrighted. It's automatic once it's put on paper. This has been the law since March 1, 1989. So even an unpublished manuscript has built-in copyright protection!
   
   So even if you don't file paperwork to obtain an official copyright, your work is still protected! This is something many people don't realize.
   
   But getting your official copyright does give you added protection because there's a paper trail and official record of when your copyright came into existence. And this helps if someone attempts to steal or has stolen your work without your permission!
2. Until you have your official copyright, you can use a (c) or the word "copyright" to signify your work is original and copyrighted. After this goes the year in which it was written and the author's name.
3. To file your official copyright, you need to complete some paperwork with the U.S. Copyright Office in Washington, D.C. and pay a registration fee.
   
   If you go to their website, http://wwww.copyright.gov, you'll be able to download the form that needs to be completed. It's called Form TX and it contains the instructions on how to complete it.
   
   Now this form can be used for a variety of books books--novels, fiction, nonfiction, poetry, textbooks, directories, reference books, catalogs, and advertising copy.
   
   TIP: If your book is a periodical or serial, then you'll need to use Form SE.
4. It's up to you when you want to complete this official paperwork.
   
   For example, you can file it prior to your work being published. In this case, you'll need to send one copy of the unpublished work along with your paperwork.
   
   After you've published it, you'll need to refile this form to change it from an unpublished work to a published one. In other words, you'll get a new copyright for the published one. So you'll have to pay for 2 separate copyright filings! One for the unpublished work and the second for the published one.
   
   Some people prefer to wait until the book is actually published to file the official copyright. In this case, you'll need to send 2 copies of the book to the copyright office along with your paperwork. And they must be bound copies, not photocopies!
   
   Remember, your unpublished work is automatically protected from the moment you put those words down on paper. So it's up to you to decide when you'd like to file for that official copyright.
5. It's important to note that you cannot copyright the book's title! You are copyrighting the information contained within your book. In other words, it's the words you're using and the way you're using them that's being copyrighted.
   
   Somebody else can write on the exact same topic and/or use your exact title. But they cannot organize their wording the same way you do. They cannot write paragraph after paragraph that's exactly the same as yours. Their organization of the words must be original and different!
   
   So you're protecting how you've written your information down, not the information iteslf. This is important to understand because many people incorrectly believe that one cannot write on their topic. That's untrue! They simply cannot write it the way you did; it has to be rewritten in their own words.
6. If you have written book or report while working for someone, you have to be careful. If it was written as part of your being an employee of the company, then it may be considered a "Work for Hire." This means that it's the property of the employer!
   
   For example, as an instructor, my lessons belong to the school. So even thought I've written them, it was done as part of my job. So it's not my work; it's the schools!
   
   Now this doesn't mean it cannot be copyright, because it can. But it means that the employer must be given credit because I wrote as an employee of theirs.
   
   So if you wrote something that's within the scope of your employment, you must give credit to your employer. On the copyright form, there's a section for this.
   
   Now if you've written something that's totally separate from your job and has nothing whatsoever to do with your employment, then this doesn't apply to you.
7. With fiction, including novels and poetry, it's not unusual to have authors using a fictitious name (pseudonym). Or an author who prefers to remain anonymous.
   
   When you file your official copyright, you'll need to state the real name of the author(s), but there is a box to check to indicat if this author is "anonymous" or "pseudonymous."

Tips & Warnings

• Copyright protection is automatic once your words are on paper
• Copyright protection can last as long as your lifespan + 70 years after your death
• If you wrote something as part of your employment, it may be considered a "work for hire," which means it could be the property of your employer. In this case, the copyright would belong to the employer
• Copyright information and paperwork can be obtained from the U.S. Copyright Office at http://www.copyright.gov