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Michael Adams
How to copyright a book? Is there even a need to copyright a book? Every original piece of literature you produce is yours from the moment you think it.
When you write and publish a book, it is your intellectual property. However, registering a copyright allows you to solidify ownership and maximize the legal protection of your book.
After all, as an author, you have put your blood, sweat, and tears into writing a book. You wouldn’t want people to steal it. So how do you copyright a book?
The book copyrighting process can seem overly complicated, especially for new authors. This guide simplifies it into 6 simple steps. So let’s get into it:
What Is a Book Copyright?
A book copyright provides legal protection to any literary work by a creator (author), which includes, books, novels, poetry, essay, and other written works.
Copyright ensures that only the authors have the legal right to copy, distribute, perform, and display the work in public.
Essentially, copyright serves as a barrier against the unauthorized use or reproduction of any book or its contents by others.
What Doesn’t a Book Copyright Protect?
A book copyright protects the author’s expression of ideas like the plot, characters, world-building, and dialogue, there are elements it does not cover:
Ideas and Concepts:
Copyright protects your expression of ideas, but not the ideas themselves. This means your storyline, characters, and writing style are protected but anybody can use a similar idea or theme in their original work.
For example, Neil Gaiman wrote a comic miniseries, The Books of Magic, about a bespectacled English kid who gets a pet owl and sets out to fulfill his destiny of entering the hidden world of magic. Sounds familiar?
Gaiman published this comic series seven years before J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter came out. However, the Harry Potter series does not infringe copyright because it has an elaborate plot and original characters. Ideas can be recycled but the expression of ideas cannot be copied.
Titles and Short Phrases:
Copyright law does not protect titles, names, short phrases, or slogans. However, these may be protected under trademark law if they are used in a way that gives away the source of a product or service.
For example, Nike’s Just Do It is not protected under copyright law as it is a simple, common phrase. However, Nike has protected it under the trademark law so other companies cannot use the phrase in a way that may confuse their products with Nike’s products.
Similarly, McDonald’s I’m Lovin’ It and Coca-Cola’s Open Happiness are protected under trademark law and not copyright law.
The same logic applies to books. While the content of the books themselves is protected by copyright, certain elements of the book series may be protected under trademark law to prevent unauthorized use.
For example, characters, places, and magical objects from the Harry Potter series, such as Harry Potter, Hogwarts, and Quidditch, have been trademarked by J.K. Rowling and Warner Bros.
Facts and Information:
Copyright does not protect facts, data, or information that is common knowledge. However, how facts are presented or organized may be protected if they show creativity or originality.
For example, you may write a book about the history of the Roman Empire. The way you compile and present this information is protected under the copyright. However, the facts or information is not protected. Other authors can use these facts and information in their works.
Works in the Public Domain:
Copyright protection is valid for a limited time and needs to be renewed. Once copyright expires, the work enters the public domain, where it can be freely used and adapted by anyone without permission.
For example, William Shakespeare’s play, Romeo and Juliet, is in the public domain due to its age. Therefore, anyone can adapt, perform, or publish the work without seeking permission.
Fair Use:
Copyright law has certain exceptions, such as fair use. Fair use allows limited use of copyrighted material without permission for criticism, commentary, news reporting, teaching, or research.
For example, while a movie or book is copyrighted, a critic can include brief excerpts from the content to add to their review as evidence or basis for their analysis and commentary.
How to Copyright a Book for Free?
All your original work is copyrighted the moment you produce it without any cost. In the US and UK, copyright protection for original work starts the moment you create it and extends up to 70 years after your death. You own the rights to your original text, the moment you write it.
You may be wondering, if that is the case, why do I need to copyright my book? Why should I spend $55 to get the copyright if I already have it? Well, when people talk about copyrighting a book, they typically mean registering a copyright with the US Copyright Office.
By registering a copyright, you become eligible for statutory protection. This means that you can get up to $150,000 in statutory damages if someone tries to copy or use your content without permission. This is called copyright infringement. If you don’t register your copyright, infringement becomes harder to prove in a court of law.
How to Copyright a Book in 6 Steps
You can register a book copyright in these six simple steps.
- Visit the official copyright website
- Create an account
- Register Your Work
- Fill Out the forms
- Pay the Fee
- Submit Your Work
Visit the official copyright website
Go to the US Copyright Office website’s registration page at copyright.gov/registration.
You can also submit your application traditionally via mail but the processing time takes longer that way and the fee is also higher ($85). Therefore, it is best to apply online.
Create an account
On the page, you will see a ‘Log in to the Electronic Copyright Office Registration System’ button. Click on the button which will redirect you to the eCO website.
If you are already a user, log in using your credentials. If not, create an account.
If you are registering as a new user, you will be asked to provide personal information like legal name, etc. You can register copyright under a pen name later on, so don’t worry about providing information at this step.
When you are registering a copyright, you have to submit a copy of your book. This can be a physical copy or an electronic copy through the Electronic Copyright Office.
Submitting an online copy is more convenient for authors and the processing takes less time. It is recommended to submit the copy digitally.
You can register a copyright online whether you submit your book digitally or send a physical copy. However, if you want to send in a physical copy of the book, you can send it by mail to the US Copyright Office.
Register Your Work
Once you have logged in, you can start registering your work. You will see multiple registration options that have multiple criteria.
Assuming you are the sole author of the book and are registering only one book, select the “Register One Work by One Author” option under the “Other Registration Options” section.
You’ll be directed to a new page with the registration process overview and the eligibility criteria of the book. Read the eligibility criteria and click the “Start Registration” button”.
Fill Out the Form
The next step simply requires you to fill out the details of the work. Start by identifying the type of work you are copyrighting and press continue.
Fill each section with the required information in the same way and press continue to move to the next section.
Review all the information carefully, and ensure there are no errors, once you apply, it cannot be corrected.
Pay the Fee
Once you have filled all the sections, click the “Add to Cart” button. You will be redirected to the payment page.
You can pay via your credit/debit card or by direct deposit. The fee for electronic filing is $55.
Once the payment is completed, you will receive a confirmation email for your payment and application.
Submit Your Work
The next step is to submit your work. You can submit your work online or by sending in a physical copy of your work.
You can submit a copy digitally if one or more of the following conditions is met:
- The book is unpublished
- The book has only been published in an electronic format
- eCO has decided to accept the submission under a special grant
- You are copyrighting the book under the group registration option
To submit a physical copy of your work, one or more of the following should be true:
- Your book has been published (in or outside the US) before the filing of the copyright.
- Your book was published in physical format (paperback or hardback).
- Your book has been published in the US in an electronic and physical format.
Do I Need to Copyright My Book Before Publishing?
It’s best to submit your copyright after you have completed your first draft, and your book is ready for publication but before starting the publication process.
If you copyright a book before publishing, you can submit a copy digitally and the process overall takes less time. Just make sure your book is in its final draft before sending in it for copyright registration.
Conclusion
Copyrighting your book protects your hard work from infringement. While all original work has been automatically protected since its inception, registering copyright adds an extra layer of security that holds up in the court of law.
The process of copyrighting their work can seem intimidating but we have broken it down is simple and easy-to-follow steps in this guide. So take the leap, and copyright your work.
Book Copyright FAQs
How long does it take to copyright a book?
The copyrighting process may take 6 to 13 months. This varies based on factors like the difficulty of the claim, the need for correspondence with the applicant, and the number of Typically, the processing time is longer for applications submitted via mail, therefore, it is encouraged to apply online.
Can you copyright an idea for a book?
Copyright protects the expression of an idea, not the idea itself. You cannot copyright an idea or theme. You can copyright a book to protect the storyline and characters from infringement, but not the idea. Other authors can use that idea in their original works.
What is the copyright page in a book called?
A copyright page is also called the edition page in a book. It is typically present towards the end of a book.
