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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