How to Copyright a Publication or Book

Steps to copyright a book.

You can copyright your book or publication by simply writing it. U.S. copyright laws say that copyright is immediately granted to the author of a book or publication as long as it was written on or after Jan. 1, 1978. You are not required to file copyright paperwork to receive your rights. However, it can be easier to protect your copyright if you've filed copyright papers with the government. You can apply for a copyright online or through the mail.

Things You'll Need

• Email address
• Internet access
• Checking account or credit card
• Adobe Reader version 8 or above
• Electronic or hard copy of your book

Instructions

1. Complete the online copyright application. You'll need to create a login and password before completing the application. The application asks for information about your book or publication including: title or titles, publication status, completion date if the book is currently unpublished or date published, author, copyright claimant, and the rights and permissions. You can save your application and come back to it another time to finish it.

2. Pay the $35 fee via credit card, debit card, ACH transfer or checking account. The copyright office uses Pay.gov, a website that's operated by the U.S. Department of Treasury, to process your payment. Note that you'll be transferred to Pay.gov during for payment, and then transferred back to the online copyright application to complete the process. You must make payment before you can upload your book or publication or before you can print a shipping label to send a hard copy.

3. Upload your book or publication. Your document should be in one of the following formats: Microsoft Word Document using version 2003 or earlier, HTML file, PDF, Rich Text Document, text file, WordPerfect Document, or Microsoft Works Word Processor Document version 6 or earlier. If you do not have your file in one of these formats, you can download a shipping label that you can use to mail a hard copy of your book or publication.

4. File by mail by first downloading Form CO from the U.S. Copyright website. You will need at least Adobe version 8 to view the project. You can complete the form on your computer, then print it. Mail your completed form along with the $50 application fee and one copy of your unpublished work or two copies of your unpublished work.

5. Request a hard copy of the application form for an alternate mail filing process. Complete the form when your receive it, then mail it along with the $60 application fee and a hard copy of your book or publication to the Copyright Office.

Tips & Warnings

• Filing your copyright application via mail is the most expensive and slowest method. It can take 18 months to receive a copyright certificate when you make the application by mail.

References

• Copyright: Copyright Registration
• Copyright: Copyright Basics (PDF)