How to Copyright Booklets

Copyright is a form of protection offered by the government for written works. If you have created an original booklet, obtaining a copyright assures you that someone else cannot steal your material or use it without your permission. In truth, your work is copyrighted from the moment you create it, but obtaining a copyright from the government can be important in case your right to the booklet is disputed. Obtaining a copyright for a booklet is a simple process.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

1. Visit the U.S. Copyright Office Forms webpage at http://www.copyright.gov/forms/ to access the Form CO (updated version of the Forms TX, VA, PA, SE, and SR).

2. Click Download Form CO to view the form.

3. Complete the form online. Print the completed form.

4. Gather the form, a typed copy of the work you would like to copyright (if it is published, enclose two copies) and a check for $45.00 payable to Register of Copyrights and mail it to Library of Congress
   Copyright Office, 101 Independence Avenue, SE, Washington, DC 20559-6222

5. You should receive a confirmation email when your application is received. You can expect to receive your certificate within 8 months from the time you submit the form. While you wait for your certificate, you can insert a line on the back of your booklet stating that the work is protected and that the official government copyright is pending. State that no part of the booklet should be used without the author's express permission.

Tips & Warnings

• You must have Adobe Acrobat Reader installed on your computer to download the Form CO. Directions for completing the form can be found at http://www.copyright.gov/forms/formco2d-ins.pdf
• Do not fill out the form by hand. The information you enter online will affect the barcode on the form, so information added by hand will not be read. Use a laser printer to print the Form CO. Do not use a dot-matrix printer.

References

• U.S. Copyright Office Forms Webpage

Resources

• Copyright Exposed: For Students and Teachers