Why Copyright? |
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Why copyright©? You may still want to register your work with the US Copyright Office for several legal reasons:* 1. Registration establishes a public record of the copyright claim. 2. Registration is necessary for works of US origin before an infringement suit can be filed in court. 3. Registration will establish prima facie evidence in court of the validity of the copyright and of the facts stated in the certificate, if made before or within five years of publication. 4. If registration is made within three months of the publication of a book, or prior to infringement of the work, statutory damages and attorney's fees will be available to the copyright owner in court actions. Otherwise, only an award of actual damages and loss of profits is allowed. 5. Registration is good for 70 years after you die. *The above information is taken from the book, Publishing Basics, by Robert Bowie Johnson, Jr. with the late Ron Pramschufer. Current fee to copyright a book online is $35 to E-file, $50 for paper filing. (On August 1, 2009, some other fees changed.) At the end of the day...I don't worry about it either way. Anyone can plagiarize your thoughts by just changing a few words. You are on the Copyright page. Updated February 27, 2026 |