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A copyright is protection to authors for their “original works of authorship.” This protection is for both unpublished and published works. With this protection, authors may prevent anyone from copying, performing, or using their work without their consent. When there is no protection, anyone can use the material in any way without the author’s consent.
The copyrightable work, however, must be more than an idea. The copyrightable work must be fixed in a “tangible form of expression.” It is important to note that the copyright protects the written or recorded expression or organization of ideas, not the idea itself.
The copyrightable work must also be an original expression, having some level of creativity, not copied from someone else. Keep in mind that ideas, facts, well-known phrases, a list of names, or titles (in and of themselves) cannot be copyrighted. But if they are expressed or arranged in an original manner, then the expression or arrangement is copyrightable.
Your written work has common law protection without registration with the U.S. Copyright Office. However, official copyright registration offers the possibility of recovering punitive damages in an infringement suit against a person accused of plagiarizing your work. Copyright registration also provides legal proof of the date of your copyright.
For more information, see the website of the U.S. Copyright Office at http://lcweb.loc.gov/copyright.
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| Obtaining Copyrights for Your
Book |
| OPTION |
PRICE |
COMMENTS |
|
Self-Registration |
$45 |
Contact U.S. Copyright Office for updated price and procedure. |
|
Registration Assistance |
$75 |
We fill out copyright application
and send 2 copies of your printed book or 1 copy
of your unpublished manuscript to Washington D.C.
(see below) |
Copyright Registration Assistance
How it works:
- First, you receive a condensed questionnaire to fill out and
return to Pine Orchard. The questionnaire is self-explanatory
and can be filled out in a couple minutes.
- We review the questionnaire and complete the federal
copyright application. We then send the completed government
form back to you for your signature.
- You send us back the signed copyright application, along
with copies of your manuscript or book (a requirement of the
Copyright Office.) We then send your material to the Library of
Congress* to be filed at the U.S. Copyright Office in Washington
D.C.
- After the government office processes your application, you
will receive the Certificate of Registration with your official
copyright number. (This usually takes the government up to a
year for review, approval, processing, and delivery.)
*Note: A copyright number is different from a Library of Congress
number, but both are filed at the same government location.
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