How to Copyright Books or Articles

US copyright law provides for the coverage and protection of books or articles, and considers them as their own entity separate from other types of artistic materials that are also eligible for copyright. A book or article refers to a written work of any length, and a copyright that is obtained for one applies to the particular structure, order, and arrangement of those words as they appear on the printed page. It protects against perverse similarities of plot and the like, but does not provide protection for any ideas or concepts contained within the work, or any particular characters or descriptions. As far as form is concerned, any literary works including “fiction, nonfiction, poetry, dissertations, catalogs, collected works, directories, reports, theses, speeches, bound volumes, loose-leaf volumes, brochures, pamphlets and single pages containing text” can be protected and registered.

Obtaining a copyright for a book or article gives the author the sole right to reproduce and distribute their work. It cannot be published, sold, exhibited, or distributed in any way by any other party, unless they have the author’s express permission. Copyright is automatically granted upon the creation of a work, which in this case means the moment that it’s written down. However, there is an optional registration process that can be undertaken to provide extra protection in the event that there is ever a legal dispute as to who is the original author of a work.

In order to secure a registration for your copyright of a book or article, it’s necessary to adhere to certain guidelines. In particular, you’ll need to provide the Copyright Office with a copy of your work. There are no real requirements for what form this copy should take, and it can even be neatly handwritten if you so desire. However, the Copyright Office tends to prefer it if you show some courtesy and supply them with a copy that will stand up to frequent handling and storing, something that won’t fall apart in a matter of days.

As with all matters of copyright, be certain before you submit your registration package that you’ve used the correct forms and that you’ve filled them out correctly. Failure to do so will likely result in unnecessary difficulties establishing the registration of your copyright, or even the need to repay fees.