How to Copyright a Paper
You're about to be amazed at how easy it is to copyright a paper. In fact, the hardest part might be writing the paper. So, what is even more amazing? You can copyright a paper someone else wrote. Sure, that gets a little more complicated. But, truly, copyrighting a paper is easier than breathing. Breathing requires energy output. To get a copyright you do nothing. Nada. Rien. Read on.
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Instructions
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Think of the idea or ideas you want to express in the paper. You cannot copyright ideas or material in which someone else owns the copyright to. So you must say something original in your paper or express an old idea in a new way.
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Write your paper or hire someone to write it. You can copyright a paper someone else wrote if the writer is your employee or if you specifically hired that person to write it. These are called "works for hire." If the writer is not your employee, you must have him or her sign a contract saying the paper is a work for hire and you can copyright it. Consider having a lawyer draft the contract.
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Once you've written the paper, you have a copyright. That's it. You don't have to do anything else. If the writer is your employee or the paper is a work for hire, you have copyright as soon as it's written. Copyright is automatic by law. You don't even have to apply. Neat, huh?
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If you publish the paper, you will have to record your work by sending two copies of it to the U.S. Copyright Office within three months of publication. If you don't record your work, it won't affect your copyright but you could be fined or have to pay a penalty.
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If you did not write the paper yourself, record your work for hire contract with the U.S. Copyright Office. You don't have to do this, but it creates a public record of your legal right to copyright a document you did not write.
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You should register your paper with the U.S. Copyright Office. Again, you don't have to. But you can't sue someone for infringement until you register. Also, registration serves as prima facie evidence that you own the copyright and U.S. Customs will be able to protect your material from illegal importation. To register, you'll fill out an application, pay a fee and file a copy of your paper with the Copyright Office.
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