Re: [epub] UK/US Copyright Law

[Cathy Stucker <cstucker@xxxxxxxxx>]

From: Cathy Stucker <cstucker@flash.net>

Here are some basics about US (not UK) copyright law:

Copyright is created the moment you put words on page (disk, etc.), draw a
picture, snap the photo, etc.  It is not necessary to file with the Library
of Congress to copyright something--it is automatic.  If you decide to
file, the fee is now $30.

Even if you don't file with the LOC, be sure to put a copyright notice on
your material:  Copyright (and/or the letter "c" in a circle), Year, Name.
You can't sue unless you have filed your copyright notice with the LOC, but
it's not necessary to have filed immediately upon creation in order to sue.

Lawsuits are difficult to win.  It is hard to prove that someone "stole"
your work, unless they use chunks of text verbatim.  You can not copyright
an idea, a word, or a title.  Copyright violation is almost always a civil
matter, so you have to spend big bucks on an attorney to sue, and it is
unlikely you will win.

In general, copyrights now last for the life of the author, plus 50 years.

The old wives' tale of mailing the manuscript to yourself doesn't hold up.
Why not mail an unsealed envelope to yourself now, and keep it around in
case you later want to seal a manuscript in it to "prove" when it was
created?  You might at least have some proof if you got the postal clerk to
handstamp the postmark all along the sealed edge, but don't rely on this as
proof in a court of law.

This is a far from exhaustive overview on copyright, but gives you the basics.

Cathy Stucker
http://www.idealady.com/


At 04:26 PM 11/27/1999 EST, you wrote:
>US laws are kinda difficult to explain. I recently attended a seminar that 
>stated that us copyrights are dependant on the letter of the law. Basically 
>as soon as you write something it's cprted, you can file w/ the LOC for $. 
>Copyrights last 20 years. I've also heard of poor man's copyright: send 
>yourself a letter w/ your material inside. the postmark serves as a 
>government seal. don't open unless a judge asks you to.

Cathy Stucker, The Idea Lady(tm)
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     Personal Visibility Marketing(sm)
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FREE every week in Bright Ideas! Subscribe at:
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cathy@idealady.com

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