Copyright gives an owner the sole right
to copy his or her work or permit someone else to do so. You can
register your copyright with the United States Patent and Trademark
Office(http://www.uspto.gov/
).
How does
it work?
You obtain copyright automatically when you create an original
work; the author owns the copyright for his or her work unless
he or she was hired to create the work, in which case the employer
is the owner.
What items
are subject to copyright?
The kinds
of works covered include: books and maps; lyrics and musical
scores; sculptures and paintings; photographs, films and tapes;
computer programs and databases; slogans, names and mere titles
are not protected by copyright.
What protection
does copyright offer?
- The owner
has the sole right to control any publication, production,
reproduction and performance of a work or its translation.
- Royalty
payments may be arranged through performing rights societies,
collectives, publishing houses or by the owners directly through
contracts.
How long
does copyright last?
Generally, copyright exists for the life of the author and 70
years following his or her death. However, there are important
exceptions:
- unknown
author;
- crown
copyright;
- mechanical
contrivances (i.e. records, tapes, etc);
- photographs;
- posthumous
works (after author's death);
- works
of joint authorship
How do
owners register copyrights?
File an
application with the Copyright Office (NOTE: It is not necessary
to send copies of your work with the application form). The
registration process normally takes six to eight weeks. Upon
registration, a certificate is issued proving that the person
registered is the copyright owner. This certificate can be used
in court to establish ownership.
How much
does it cost?
Various
fees apply to registration, copies and certified copies of certificates
and other documents. A fee schedule can be obtained from the
Copyright Office.
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