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  13th Edition

  The Copyright

  Handbook

  What Every Writer

  Needs to Know

  Stephen Fishman, J.D.

  L A W f o r A L L

  THIRTEENTH EDITION

  OCTOBER 2017

  Editor

  DAVID GOGUEN

  Book Design

  SUSAN PUTNEY

  Proofreading

  SUSAN CARLSON GREENE

  Index

  THÉRÈSE SHERE

  Printing

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  ISBN: 978-1-4133-2426-6 (pbk)

  ISBN: 978-1-4133-2427-3 (epub ebook)

  ISSN: 2325-4564 (print)

  ISSN: 2325-4572 (online)

  This book covers only United States law, unless it specifically states otherwise.

  Copyright © 1992, 1994, 1996, 1997, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2004, 2006, 2008, 2011, 2014,

  and 2017 by Stephen Fishman. All rights reserved. The NOLO trademark is registered in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. Printed in the U.S.A.

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  that’s a good idea—consult an attorney licensed to practice in your state.

  Acknowledgments

  Many thanks to:

  Jake Warner for giving me the opportunity to write a book on such an

  interesting subject and for his editorial contributions.

  Richard Stim and Steve Elias, whose ideas and superb editing made this

  a much better book.

  Kent Dunlap, Assistant General Counsel, U.S. Copyright Office, and

  Lisa Goldoftas for reviewing the chapter on copyright registration.

  Attorney Katherine Hardy for reviewing portions of the manuscript.

  Dedication

  This book is dedicated to my mother, Helen F. Poellot.

  About the Author

  Stephen Fishman is a San Francisco–based attorney who has been writing

  about the law for over 25 years. He received his law degree from the

  University of Southern California in 1979. He has published 20 books and

  hundreds of articles, and has been quoted in The New York Times, Wal

  Street Journal, Chicago Tribune, and many other publications. He is the

  author of the treatise Copyright and the Public Domain (Law Journal Press).

  His Nolo publications include:

  • The Public Domain: How to Find Copyright-Free Writings, Music,

  Art & More

  • Consultant & Independent Contractor Agreements

  • Deduct It! Lower Your Small Business Taxes

  • Every Landlord’s Tax Deduction Guide

  • Home Business Tax Deductions: Keep What You Earn

  • Tax Deductions for Professionals

  • Working for Yourself: Law & Taxes for Independent Contractors,

  Freelancers & Consultants, and

  • Working With Independent Contractors.

  His website is at fishmanlawandtaxfiles.com.

  Table of Contents

  Your Legal Companion ...................................................................................................1

  1 Copyright Basics....................................................................................................................3

  Why Have a Copyright Law? .................................................................................................. 4

  What Is Copyright? ..................................................................................................................... 4

  How Is a Copyright Created and Protected? .................................................................. 5

  What Copyright Protects .........................................................................................
............... 6

  Limitations on Copyright Protection ................................................................................. 6

  Copyright Ownership and Transfer of Ownership ...................................................... 7

  How Long a Copyright Lasts .................................................................................................. 8

  Copyright Infringement ........................................................................................................... 8

  Other Protections for Intellectual Property ................................................................... 8

  2 Copyright Notice ................................................................................................................13

  Introduction: The Little “c” in a Circle .............................................................................15

  When Copyright Notice Is Required ................................................................................15

  Why Provide a Copyright Notice on Published Works? ..........................................16

  When to Provide Notice ........................................................................................................18

  Notices for Online Works......................................................................................................18

  Form of Notice ...........................................................................................................................19

  Notice on Compilations and Adaptations ....................................................................22

  Book Dust Jackets .....................................................................................................................26

  Multimedia Works ...................................................................................................................26

  Where to Place Copyright Notice ......................................................................................26

  Other Information Near the Notice .................................................................................29

  Copyright Notice on Unpublished Manuscripts ........................................................32

  3 Copyright Registration ..................................................................................................35

  What Is Copyright Registration? ........................................................................................38

  Why Register? .............................................................................................................................38

  What Can and Should Be Registered ...............................................................................42

  Who Can Register? ...................................................................................................................43

  Registration as a Single Unit ............................................................................................... 46

  Registering Derivative Works and Compilations ........................................................52

  How to Register .........................................................................................................................54

  Online Copyright Registration ............................................................................................55

  Registering Using Form TX and Other Paper Application Forms .......................62

  Registering Newspapers, Magazines, Newsletters, and Other Periodicals:

  Form SE, Form SE/Group, Form G/DN ........................................................................62

  Registering a Group of Contributions to Periodicals: Form GR/CP ...................69

  Registering Online Works .....................................................................................................72

  Registering Multimedia Works ...........................................................................................74

  Registering Contents of Automated Databases ..........................................................75

  Satisfying Copyright Office Deposit Requirements ..................................................76

  Sending Your Application to the Copyright Office ...................................................82

  Postal Mailing Your Paper Application, Fee, and Deposit ......................................82

  Expedited Registration ...........................................................................................................83

  Preregistration of Unpublished Works ...........................................................................85

  Dealing With the Copyright Office ...................................................................................88

  Ful -Term Retention of Deposits and Other Ways to Preserve Deposits .........91

  Correcting Errors After Registration Is Completed ...................................................94

  4 Correcting or Changing Copyright Notice or Registration ..............95

  Part I: Dealing With Errors or Omissions in Copyright Notice ......................... 97

  Works Published After March 1, 1989 .............................................................................97

  Copies Published Between January 1, 1978 and February 28, 1989 ........................97

  Works Published Before 1978 ..............................................................................................99

  Types of Errors or Omissions That Invalidate a Copyright Notice ...................101

  Part II: Dealing With Errors or Changes Affecting Copyright Registration:

  Supplemental Registration ................................................................................102

  Why a Supplemental Registration Should Be Filed (When Appropriate) ....102

  When Supplemental Registration Is Not Appropriate .........................................104

  Supplemental Registration Procedure .........................................................................105

  Effect of Supplemental Registration..............................................................................107

  5 What Copyright Protects..........................................................................................109

  What Copyright Protects: Tangible, Original Expression ..................................... 110

  What Copyright Does Not Protect: The Boundaries of the Public Domain ....114

  Distinguishing Between Protected Expression and Material

  in the Public Domain: Putting It All Together ....................................................... 124

  Copyright in the Online World ........................................................................................ 129

  How Copyright Protects Different Types of Online Works ................................ 137

  6 Adaptations and Compilations............................................................................145

  Derivative Works ....................................................................................................................146

  Compilations ............................................................................................................................ 152

  7 Initial Copyright Ownership ..................................................................................161

  Independent Authorship by an Individual ................................................................162

  Works Made for Hire ............................................................................................................163

  Jointly Authored Works ......................................................................................................186

  8 Transferring Copyright Ownership ........................
..........................................201

  How Copyright Ownership Rights Are Transferred to Others..........................204

  Rights Retained by Author After Transfer ..................................................................208

  Copyright Transfers Between Freelance Writers and Magazines

  and Other Periodicals ....................................................................................................... 214

  Copyright Transfers Between Writers and Book Publishers ............................... 217

  Electronic Publishing and Ownership of Electronic Rights................................. 218

  Transfer Documents .............................................................................................................221

  Marriage, Divorce, and Copyright Ownership ..........................................................224

  Recording Copyright Transfers With the Copyright Office ................................226

  9 Copyright Duration .......................................................................................................229

  Works Created During or After 1978 ............................................................................230

  End of Calendar Year Rule ..................................................................................................234

  Works Created but Not Published or Registered Before January 1, 1978 .....234

  Works Published or Registered Before January 1, 1978 .........................................236

  Special Rules for Works First Published Abroad Before 1978 .............................241

  Duration of Copyright in Adaptations (Derivative Works) ................................ 245

  Termination of Transfers of Renewal Term Rights in Pre-1978 Works ........... 245

  10 Using Other Authors’ Words .................................................................................249

  Introduction .............................................................................................................................250

  Introduction to the Fair Use Privilege .......................................................................... 251

  When Is a Use a Fair Use? ...................................................................................................253

  Fair Use Online ........................................................................................................................ 261