FAQ: Copyright

[Medievalist]

First, notice the difference between copyright and copywriter. Copyright is the legal term.

Keep in mind that copyright is different in different countries, and that not only am I not a lawyer, but that if you have serious questions, you really want a lawyer who deals specifically with copyright law and publishing.

Don't miss the WritingNovels FAQ on Copyright that KatieMac created.

External Resources About Copyright:

The actual statute.

The Stanford Copyright and Fair Use Center.

American Publisher's Association Copyright Resources, including information about how to request rights.

The Music Publisher's Association Copyright Resources site can be helpful in determining who to contact for permissions, and how to request permission.

DMCA The Digital Millennium Copyright Act:

The DMCA deals specifically with digital copyright, especially on the Internet.

An overview of the DMCA, from the UCLA library school.

The government memorandum that summarizes the DMCA.

The US Government Copyright Office Registration Information page

Poorman's Copyright:

The idea behind Poorman's Copyright is that you place your manuscript in an envelope and mail it to yourself; the sealed envelope and the postmark are then "proof" of your creation date.

This is stupid.

It is also a myth; poorman's copyright will do nothing for you in terms of asserting your rights. You have copyright from the moment you create a text or other applicable work. Copyright is automatic. Registration of copyright is another matter. Poorman's Copyright never really worked; it wasn't intended to be used for copyright protection; instead, it an artifact of evidence law, not copyright law. Note Jaws' explanation here.

You'll note that Jaws says "The poor man's copyright is worthless and has been worthless since 1909."

Poorman's Copyright...

Registering or Not Registering Copyright:

Keep in mind that you have copyright for your creation, even without registering. Also keep in mind that it's usually best to let your publisher register the copyright when the work is ready to be published. As Jaws says here

Originally Posted by Jaws

There is a lot less "ripping off" of copyrighted material going on than most authors (and songwriters) believe. This is true whether it's publishers, or editors, or agents, or just other authors "involved.

Copyright

Here's James Macdonald, with more books and years of experience writing than most of us will ever have answering the question "Should I register my book's copyright?"

"Short Answer: No"--and Macdonald tells you why.

Song lyrics and Quotations:


Permission to use song lyrics in a book?

Incorporating song lyrics - copyright/legal problems?

Copyright ?