What is copyright?
Copyright is a legal phrase that ideally defines the concept that a creator’s original work belongs solely to them and only they have the right to copy, market, display and distribute it to the world. The work could be a book, a design, a film, or something else entirely.
It is a right guaranteed exclusively by the government to the owner of the creations to safeguard their tangible expression of an idea and prevent it from any kind of duplication. Also, violation of the copyright law is known as copyright infringement and has consequences such as a lawsuit or criminal charges.
How does copyrighting work?
Copyright tends to cover literary and artistic work, such as movies and books. When an individual creates something unique incorporating their unique thoughts and ideas, then it needs to be guarded against unauthorized duplication through a framework of laws and legislations, namely copyright.
Copyright is the sole reason why anyone can’t just print and sell Harry Potter or download pirated movies. Under the Copyright Act 1957, these copyrights generally last for the creator’s lifetime plus 60 years after their death, after which it falls into the public domain and can be used, modified and published without any permission or restriction.
Copyright grants the creator an extra layer of security which tends to significantly impact the author, especially if the work is intended for commercial and profit purposes.
Although one usually needs permission to use copyrighted material, there is an exception listed which is known as fair use. Fair use allows you to use brief portions of copyrighted works without the explicit permission of the copyright holders for certain types of use, such as criticism, teaching or news reporting but under certain conditions.
Benefits of Copyrighting
Prevents Infringement
Copyright helps in preventing any kind of infringement. Regardless of whether a copyright holder has sole ownership of his work, copyright registration works as extensive proof that will aid in filing a lawsuit against copyright infringement if caused any.
Monetary Benefit
Copyright registration not only protects from the risk of duplication but also provides monetary benefits to the creators. Copyrighted work can be sold or franchised, enabling owners to earn royalty out of it.
Intangible Asset
Copyrighted work is termed as intangible property of the owner, which can be licensed, assigned or sold in the future for financial benefits.
Public Acknowledgement
Copyright registrations establish a public record and reduce the possibility of “innocent plagiarism.” It raises public awareness; anyone can review these records before using someone else’s work.
How to copyright your book?
It is recommended that you register your book for copyright in order to reap all of the benefits. The registration process is simple and inexpensive, and carried out smoothly.
The following are some of the steps involved in copyrighting a book in India:
File an Application
The applicant must first fill out and complete the application form and pay the determined fee amount. Following the submission of the application, the applicant will be assigned a diary number.
Application evaluation
After the submission of the application, it is gone for evaluation purposes, which takes about 30 days. The process includes analyzing and recording any sort of objection subject to the copyright application.
Registration
Once the applicant has fulfilled all of his or her obligations and everything has been cleared up from the registrar’s end, the applicant who obtained the copyright and the owner can legally use all copyright rights.
So, there you have it, “How to copyright a book?” Don’t forget to check out our previous post on “Why are book reviews so important?“ if you want to get your book self-published. Also, please share your thoughts on this post by leaving a reply in the comments section. You can also reach out to us by visiting our website https://bfcpublications.com/.
