Protecting your book under copyright law is simple and easy. You can find many online copyright registries where you can get your book copyrighted at an affordable price.
It is important to know, first of all, if you book falls under a category that is protected by copyright. Books would normally fall under literary works since it is a nondramatic textual work expressed with words, numbers, or symbols and may or may not contain illustrations.
Originality is one of the requirements to copyright books. An original book is one that is not copied from someone else. But, if you book is based on somebody else’s work or is a derivative to another work, then it can still be protected by copyright law.
An original book also contains some component of creativity. So, if you have a book which is a recipe compilation, then what requires originality that can be protected by copyright law is the order and types of recipes that you select. Copyright protection for this type of book is only limited to the methods, directions, tips, and serving suggestions but not to the list of ingredients.
You don’t need to have an original storyline but the actual words and sentences of the story must be yours and not copied. So, if there are a thousand books about a certain general subject, each one can own the copyright to their specific expression of their book.
You need to put your book in a form that will allow for copyright protection. Your book must be put in a fixed form in order to qualify as a literary work under copyright law. It should either be written down or saved on your hard drive. Once you have a tangible form of your work, it would be considered fixed and thus can be protected by copyright law.
If you have already completed the steps above, you work will be automatically protected under copyright law. However, if infringement occurs, you will have a difficult time provide that the book is your original. And this is where registering your book with a copyright registry benefits you.
Your book can be registered under any copyright registry, but if you register it with the US Copyright Office, you will be able to easily take your claim to court.
You can search for a copyright registry online by doing a simple search with keywords ‘protect copyright’. Choose a registry that does not have hidden costs and will protect your book for the life of copyright which is from 50 to 70 years. With your book registered in a copyright registry, you will be able to prove that you are the original author in case infringement occurs.