How to Copyright an Unpublished Manuscript

Legal copyright goes into effect immediately upon creation of a work.

There is no law stating you must register any artistic creation to enjoy the legal protection of copyright. Legal copyright goes into effect immediately upon creation of a work. You do have the option of copyright registration. Registering you work with the United States Copyright Office provides you with tangible proof of your creation date should you ever need it to file a wrongful infringement suit. In the case of an unpublished manuscript, registration should only be considered if you make the manuscript public. While this registration isn't required, it can add an additional layer of legal protection.

Instructions

1. Visit the United States Copyright Office to create an account, which is required in order to register a copyright. There is no charge to register for an account. Click the electronic copyright office icon. Enter the requested information to open an account. You will need your name, the mailing address where you would like your registration certificate sent and a phone number.

2. Log in to your account to begin the copyright registration process. Enter the title of your work, the name of the copyright holder and creator of the work, and whether or not the work has been previously published. Previous publication generally means in a setting where anyone other than yourself has seen the work and the opportunity for infringement is present, including submitting to contests, writer's groups or publishers. Enter a brief description of the work and indicate the type of work you are copyrighting. In this case, you are copyrighting a manuscript for a story or book (a literary copyright).

3. Upload a copy of the work your copyright registration represents. In the case of a literary copyright, the appropriate file format can be .DOC, .PDF, Rich Text or a .TXT file. Once you've uploaded a copy of the work you wish to register, this copy is kept on file with the Library of Congress.

4. Pay the registration fee online. That is the only option for electronic copyright registration. Payment can be made using a credit card or an electronic check using the pay.gov system in place at the United States Copyright Office website. Once you have paid your registration fee, a certificate of copyright registration will be mailed to the address you provided.

Tips & Warnings

• You can register your copyright by mail, however the registration fee is higher. The recommended method of copyright registration, as stated by the United States Copyright Office website, is electronic registration.

References

• United States Copyright Office: Copyright Forms and Instruction