File for a Copyright

Copyrights begin at the time of the creation of the work, but the fact that you wrote something doesn't necessarily give you the copyright to that work. In the case of work for hire, the employer probably holds the copyright.

Tutorial

There are some basic things to understand about a copyright before you decide whether you need to file for one. Copyrights are formal ownership of an original work. Typically, the person who produced the work owns the copyright but there are some exceptions. If work is done “for hire,” the employer owns the copyright. Examples of this kind of copyright held by the employer include the work produced by a reporter at a newspaper (the newspaper holds ownership). Unless there is an agreement to the contrary, most work produced while a person is an employee of a company becomes the ownership of the company. The same is true of freelance writers. To avoid confusion, always spell out who will retain the copyright of materials being produced for a specific purpose.

If you have authored an original work – a book, musical recording or any other piece of fiction or non-fiction – and you did not transfer the copyright, you have the right to formally file for a copyright with the Federal Government. You should also remember that having possession of the work does not guarantee copyright ownership. That means that before you send your book out to unknown agents or publishers for consideration you should probably seek a copyright.

There are many companies that will offer to get a copyright for you. The truth is that anyone has the right to file a request for a copyright through the U.S. Copyright Office.

Copyrights begin automatically at the time of creation (the date of the first stage of creation if the work was done in stages) and copyright protection lasts for the lifetime of the author plus 70 years.