How to Build a Copyright Law Plan

A copyright plan protects your work from plagiarism, and you from charges of it.

Copyright law protects intellectual property, the product of cognitive work, be it software or a piece of art or music. By implementing a copyright plan, you can protect your works from either being copied or from plagiarizing another's work. A copyright plan will allow you to adhere to copyright laws and legally protect you from costly lawsuits.

Instructions

Understand Copyright Infringement and Avoid Plagiarism

1. Know the rights of a copyright holder. "The right to reproduce work" permits only the copyright holder to reproduce works without special permissions. "The right to derivative works" protects works from other mediums copying the work without permission. For example, film companies have to obtain permission to create a motion picture of a book. "The right to distribution" gives the copyright holder the exclusive rights of distribution. Distribution includes sales or renting. "Public display right" and "public performance right" allow the copyright holder to control public viewings of the copyrighted material.

2. Learn what does not constitute copyright infringement. Materials protected under fair use and public domain are not protected. Fair use allows materials to be used without permission if the material is used for educational purposes, including criticism and teaching or news reporting. Fair use does not define the number of lines or words that may be used.

   Public domain describes works that are open for public use due to age. In the US, all works created before 1923 and any work created before 1964 with a non-renewed copyright are considered public domain.

3. Obtain permissions. If you must use the words or works of another in your own work, contact the source to obtain official permission to do so. Acknowledge copyrighted materials. Include a Copyright Permissions Acknowledgment section with your documentation. To obtain permissions, contact the copyright holder directly. If you do not know who holds the copyright, you may request that the copyright office find the copyright holder for you.

   US Copyright Office

   101 Independence AV SE

   Washington DC 20559

   202-707-3000

   copyright.gov

4. Cite all sources. Whether or not you quote or paraphrase materials, you must cite the original source as a footnote in all intellectual property. Failing to cite even paraphrased sources is plagiarism. Compile all sources in a Works Cited page.

   List all sources you used a references. Even if you did not cite a source directly, include it in a Works References page to protect inadvertent use of a source. When in doubt, cite it.

Protect Your Own Work

1. Submit an application to the copyright office. You may file by mail or online. If you file online, you are still required to mail in a "best edition" hard copy or copies of the material you want copyrighted.

2. Pay the nonrefundable application fee. The mail-in fee is $50, but the online fee is cheaper at $35, so you may want to consider that method. Online submissions will receive acknowledgment by email. Mail-in submissions will not receive acknowledgment.

3. Submit one or two copies of the work to the copyright office for registration. depending on the type of work. You can do this with the application packet by post, or mail it separately to supplement an online application.

Implement Your Plan

1. 

   Preventing plagiarism is everyone's responsibility.

   Train all employees in the protocol. Whether you are using the plan in the company or for personal use, everyone who uses copyrighted sources needs to have accurate training in copyright infringement and plagiarism prevention. This training should be documented for accountability.

2. Check for plagiarism often. Free plagiarism software is readily available online. Paid services are also available for annual fees. Double-check all sources to make sure they are cited accurately.

3. Clarify expectations. Copyright law is muddy due to issues such as fair use, but you need to create measurable guidelines for your employees to follow. You may alwatys be clearer and stricter than the law demands. Through clarity, you will better protect yourself and make your plan easier to implement. An example of clarity in editorial matters is: "Only four lines of quoted text may be used in a single block."

4. Create a system of accountability. Your copyright plan needs to be an element in all evaluations. By including this as an area of evaluation, you will hold all employees accountable.

Tips & Warnings

• Using all three sections together constitutes a copyright action plan to protect yourself and your organization.

• Plagiarism can be costly, so follow this copyright plan or seek legal assistance in modifying it or creating one customized to your needs.

References

• Click and Copyright: Copyright Infringement
• Copyright: Registering a Work
• Council of Writing Program Administrators: Defining and Avoiding Plagiarism
• BitLaw: Right Granted Under Copyright
• Stanford University: Copyright and Fair Use