Copyrightisthewriter'ssecurityblanket.Itjustmakesyoufeelbettertoknowyourwordsareprotected.Ionceknewawriterwhowassoscaredhisworkwouldbestolen,heneversentitanywhere.Talkaboutcounterproductive!Butifyoucanunderstandthesefoursimplecopyrightkeys,youcanresteasyandsubmitatwill.
1.Create!
That'sallyouhavetodotocopyrightsomething:writeit.Youdon'thavetopublishitandyoudon'thavetoregisteritwiththeUnitedStatesCopyrightOffice,althoughtherearecertainadvantagestoregistration(seebelow).Themomentapieceiswrittendown,itautomaticallygainscopyrightandthatcopyrightisownedbytheauthor.
2.GiveNotice.
That'swhenyouputthatlittleencircled"c"onthework.Youcanalsousetheword"Copyright",thenyournameandtheyearoffirstpublication.Forinstance,thisnewsletteris"Copyright2005SophfroniaScott".Ittellstheworldthattheworkisprotectedsosomeonecan'tshowupincourtandclaimtheydidn'tknowitwas.Speakingofcourt...
3.RegisterYourCopyright.
Again,registeringwiththeUnitedStatesCopyrightOfficeisreallyjustalegality.Youdon'thavetodoit.Butyoudogetafewbenefitsforthe$30feethatareworthconsidering.
Registrationmakesyourcopyrightamatterofpublicrecordand--getthis--ifyouregisterandsomeonelaterinfringesonyourcopyrightandyoutakethemtocourt,youwillbeabletosuefor"statutorydamagesandattorney'sfees".Withanunregisteredworkyoucanonlygetanawardofactualdamagesandprofit.Tolearnmoreonhowtoregisteryourliteraryworkgoto/register/literary.html.
4.SendCopiestotheLibraryofCongress.
Onceyourbookispublished,you'rerequiredtosendtwocopiestotheLibraryofCongress.It'scalleda"mandatorydepositofpublishedworks".Ifyourbookisproducedbyatraditionalpublisher,thepeopletherewilldothisforyou,butifyouareselfpublishing,keepinmindthatyouhavetodothisyourself.Youhavethreemonthsafterpublication.Itdoesn'thurtyourcopyrightifyoudon'tdoitbut,accordingtotheCopyrightOffice,"failuretomakethedepositcanresultinfinesandotherpenalties."
That'sit!Prettysimple,really,butallthemorereasonwhyitshouldnotbecomeanartificialroadblocktoyourcontinuingandsubmittingyourwork.Onelastnote:youcan'tcopyrightanidea.Ihaveheardwriterssaytheysubmittedastoryorbookproposalandsomeoneelsecameoutwithabookjustlikeit,sotheagent/editor/writermusthavestolentheiridea.Well,notquite.Itishighlylikelythatsomeoneelsejusthadthesameidea.Itdoeshappen.Andyes,itispossibleforsomeonetostealyouridea--justmakeREALLYsurethattheyhavedonesobeforeyoumaketheaccusation.
2005SophfroniaScott
iAutoblog the premier autoblogger software
No comments:
Post a Comment