How to Copyright
Whether you have created a piece of music, written a book, taken a photograph or developed a website, you have put a significant amount of time and work into what you have created. Therefore, it only makes sense that you would want to make sure that people can’t just take what you have put so much time into creating and steal it within a matter of minutes or even seconds. Although there will always be people who attempt (and do) steal the work that others create, there are steps you can take to deter the theft of your work (and have a way to take legal action in the event that your work is stolen). The following four sections cover how to copyright music, books, photographs and websites.
How to Copyright Music
A popular myth about music copyright is that if you mail yourself a copy of the music you created and never open it, you will be able to use it as proof that you created the music because the postmark on the envelope will show that you were the owner of the music before anyone else. While this sounds good in theory, it doesn’t hold up in court. If you want to have actual legal protection for your music, your only option is to obtain a copyright from the US Copyright Office.
When you apply for your music copyright, you can choose from two forms: PA or SR. PA (which stands for Performing Arts) protects the rights to the song itself, while SR (which stands for Sound Recording) protects the specific recording of a song (and it can also be used to copyright the composition of the song).
To copyright a piece of music, choose which form of copyright you want (as described above) and fill out the appropriate application for that form ( / SR). Once the form is complete, mail it (along with a forty-five dollar check and copy of your piece of music) to:
Library of Congress
Copyright Office
101 Independence Avenue, S.E.
Washington, DC 20559-6000
How to Copyright a Book
Although book publishers will take care of all copyright procedures and simply creating a piece of literature gives you the rights to that piece of work’s copyright (which means that if you wrote it, you have the right to use the word Copyright or the Copyright symbol on your work), given the time and effort that goes into creating a piece of literature, many new authors feel more comfortable going through the formal process of obtaining a legal copyright for their book.
To file a copyright for your book, you will need to visit the US Copyright Office website. From there, you will be able to file your book copyright online. Because they are able to process online copyright requests faster than traditional copyright requests, filing your copyright online is the preferred method of the US Copyright Office. You will still use Form TX, but because the US Copyright Office is encouraging individuals to use their online registration system, your basic claim will only cost $35 when filed online. Not only will you be able to make your payment online, but you will also be able to monitor the status of your copyright request directly from your computer.
One interesting note about copyrighting a book is that you cannot copyright the title of the book. Although someone can legally write a book with the same title as your book, they cannot organize the words of the book in the same way that you did.
How to Copyright Photographs
Like other pieces of original work, you own the copyright to a photograph from the second that you create it. However, if your work is stolen, in order to recover Statutory and Punitive Damages (along with legal fees), you will need to have a registered copyright for your photograph (otherwise, you will only be able to recover Actual Damages, which are normally much less than the cost of the legal proceedings). Both published and unpublished photographs are eligible for registered copyright protection.
Regardless of whether they are published or unpublished, groups of photographs can be copyrighted together with one form and only one fee. To register a group of photographs, you will need to use Form GR/PPh from the US Copyright Office. This form can now be filed online without the need for printing (you will also be able to submit your photographs over the Internet).
How to Copyright Websites
Because websites (along with blogs) are mixed mediums, there are two ways to copyright a website or blog. If you have key pieces of content on your website or blog that are relatively static (such as an extended how-to guide), you can register the individual pieces of content. If the majority of your website or blog changes on a frequent basis (like most blogs), you can register your online property as a whole every three months. The way you choose to register your content is up to you, but most websites and blogs that take copyright law seriously not only register their important, static pieces of content, but also register their website or blog as a whole every three months. (If you choose to copyright your entire blog or website, while you may think that it fits the rules for publishing serials, you will actually need to copyright your website or blog as a derivative work.)
Previously, whether you planned on registering a single piece of content or an entire website, you were required to print out each piece of content that you wanted to register (which meant thousands of pages of paper for most websites and blogs). However, now that the US Copyright Office allows electronic submissions, you can log into their website and copyright your website or blog without needing to print out any of your content.
-
(Remember, this is a general guide to copyrighting your work. Although applying for a copyright is much easier than most legal procedures, if you have any specific questions about how to copyright a piece of work, you should seek the advice of a qualified legal professional).