The Copyright Handbook Read online

  Fair Use and the Photocopy Machine ..........................................................................263

  Copying by Libraries and Archives .................................................................................266

  Other Fair Uses .......................................................................................................................271

  11 Copyright Infringement: What It Is, What to Do About It,

  How to Avoid It .................................................................................................................277

  What Is Copyright Infringement? ...................................................................................279

  How to Know Whether You Have a Valid Infringement Claim ........................281

  When Copying Protected Expression Is Excused ....................................................290

  Self-Help Remedies for Copyright Infringement ......................................................290

  Overview of Copyright Infringement Lawsuits ........................................................293

  What You Can Get If You Win: Remedies for Copyright Infringement.........302

  What to Do If You’re Accused of Infringement ........................................................306

  Copyright Infringement Online ....................................................................................... 310

  What to Do If Someone Infringes Your Work Online ........................................... 314

  12 International Copyright Protection .................................................................323

  International Protection for U.S. Citizens and Nationals ..................................... 324

  Protection in the United States for Non-U.S. Citizens ..........................................328

  Copyright Protection in Canada .....................................................................................336

  Marketing Your Work in Foreign Countries .............................................................. 341

  13 Copyright and Taxation .............................................................................................343

  Writers’ Income Tax Deductions ....................................................................................344

  Taxation of Copyright Income .........................................................................................357

  14 Obtaining Copyright Permissions ......................................................................361

  Who Owns the Text? ............................................................................................................362

  Start With Online Permission Services ........................................................................363

  Locate the Publisher .............................................................................................................366

  Contact the Author ..............................................................................................................368

  Special Situations ...................................................................................................................370

  When You Can’t Find the Rights Holder ..................................................................... 375

  Negotiating Text Permission and Fees .........................................................................378

  15 Help Beyond This Book ...............................................................................................391

  Intensive Background Resources.....................................................................................392

  Primary Source Materials on Copyright ......................................................................393

  Finding a Copyright Lawyer ..............................................................................................394

  A Appendix: How to Use the Downloadable Forms .................................399

  Editing RTFs ..............................................................................................................................400

  List of Forms .............................................................................................................................401

  Index .................................................................................................................................................403

  Your Legal Companion

  In 2007, Amazon, the nation’s largest This book is composed of two parts:

  online seller of print books, unveiled

  • The first part (Chapters 1–3) consists

  the Kindle, an electronic book reader

  of a short overview of copyright law

  that allows users to download books from

  (Chapter 1, “Copyright Basics”), and a

  almost anywhere in the United States (and

  how-to guide on copyright notice and

  within minutes). Unlike the books that

  registration with the Copyright Office.

  have been sold for the past six centuries, the

  • The second part (Chapters 4–15) serves

  Kindle does not require ink to be placed

  as your copyright resource; it discusses

  on paper, glue to be applied to a binding,

  the most important aspects of copyright

  or books to be shipped from publisher to a

  law in detail. If you are unable to find

  store. But the Kindle does have one thing

  the answers to your questions in earlier

  in common with the millions of books that

  chapters, the final chapter tel s you how

  came before it: It offers the written word to

  to do further research on your own and,

  readers … and most of the works sold for

  if necessary, find a copyright attorney.

  the Kindle are—like most of the books sold

  Not everyone will want to read the whole

  at Amazon—protected by copyright.

  book. Which parts you do want to read will of

  That’s what this book is about: copyright course depend on why you bought the book;

  for the written word.

  most likely for one of these three reasons:

  If you’re a writer—whether a novelist,

  • You want to know how to satisfy the

  short story writer, poet, playwright, screen-

  procedural requirements to obtain

  writer, biographer, historian, author of how-

  maximum copyright protection for a

  to books, writer of scientific and technical

  written work. If you just want to know

  works and other works of nonfiction,

  how to place a valid copyright notice

  published or unpublished author, journalist,

  on your work (that’s the © followed

  blogger, freelance writer, person employed

  by a date and name you usually see

  by others to create written works, person

  on published works), read Chapter 2,

  who employs others to create written

  “Copyright Notice.” Placing a valid

  works, editor who works for a magazine

  copyright notice on your work

  or a book publisher, established publisher,

  will make it easier to enforce your

  self-publisher, librarian, teacher, or literary

  copyright. If you want to register your

  agent—this book is for you.

  work with the Copyright Office, refer

  2 | THE COPYRIGHT HANDBOOK

  to Chapters 3 and 4 for a step-by-step

  This book only covers copyright for

  explanation.

  written works. T
his means it is not about:

  • You have a specific copyright question or

  • copyright protection for music, artwork,

  problem. If you have a specific question

  photography, or audiovisual works; for a

  or problem, start with the table of

  detailed discussion of legal protection for

  contents at the front of the book. For

  music, see Music Law: How to Run Your

  example, suppose you want to know

  Band’s Busines , by Richard Stim (Nolo).

  whether you need permission to use a

  • publishing contracts; although we

  quotation from Abraham Lincoln that

  discuss the copyright aspects of publish-

  you found in a recent Civil War history.

  ing contracts, this is not a book about

  By scanning the table of contents you

  how to negotiate or draft contracts.

  would discover Chapter 10, “Using

  • protecting inventions; see Patent It

  Other Authors’ Words,” is probably the

  Yourself, by David Pressman and

  place to start. If you didn’t find what you

  Thomas J. Tuytschaevers (Nolo), if you

  were looking for in the table of contents,

  want to know about this.

  you could use the index at the back of

  • protecting titles, logos, or slogans;

  the book and search under such terms as

  because these items may be protected

  “quotations” and “public domain.”

  under the federal and state trademark

  • You want a general education about

  laws, which have nothing to do with

  copyright law. If you simply want to

  copyright, see Trademark: Legal Care

  learn more about copyright, read

  for Your Business & Product Name, by

  Chapter 1, “Copyright Basics,” and

  Stephen Fishman (Nolo).

  then read as much of Chapters 5

  • protecting ideas; copyright only protects

  through 15 as you wish. You can skip

  words, not ideas. Ideas can be protected as

  Chapters 3 and 4, since these chapters

  trade secrets, which involves committing

  are intended for people who want to

  anyone who learns of the ideas to secrecy

  take specific steps to obtain maximum

  and maintaining security procedures to

  copyright protection for a written work.

  prevent the ideas from leaking out.

  Get Forms, Updates, and More at The Copyright Handbook’s Companion Page You can download all of the forms in this book at The Copyright Handbook’s companion page on Nolo’s website (free for readers of this book) at:

  www.nolo.com/back-of-book/COHA.html

  In addition, when there are important changes to the information in this book, we’ll post updates at the companion page, as well as podcasts from the author, Stephen Fishman.

  l

  C H A P T E R

  Copyright Basics

  1

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

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

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

  Notice ..........................................................................................................................................................6

  Registration ..............................................................................................................................................6

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

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

  Ideas and Facts Are Not Protected .............................................................................................7

  Fair Use .......................................................................................................................................................7

  Works in the Public Domain ...........................................................................................................7

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

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

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

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

  Trademarks ...............................................................................................................................................9

  Patents ........................................................................................................................................................9

  Trade Secrets ........................................................................................................................................10

  Contract Protection for Ideas .....................................................................................................10

  4 | THE COPYRIGHT HANDBOOK

  This chapter is an introduction to What Is Copyright?

  some basic copyright concepts

  and vocabulary. It is designed to

  Copyright is a legal device that provides the

  pave the way for more detailed discussions

  creator of a work of art or literature, or a

  in later chapters. We therefore urge you

  work that conveys information or ideas, the

  not to use this material to reach a final

  right to control how the work is used. The

  conclusion about any particular issue.

  Copyright Act of 1976—the federal law

  Only after reading one or more of the later

  providing for copyright protection—grants

  chapters will you be in a position to make

  authors a bundle of intangible, exclusive

  a judgment about a particular question or

  rights over their work. These rights include:

  course of action.

  • reproduction right—the right to make

  copies of a protected work

  • distribution right—the right to sell or

  Why Have a Copyright Law?

  otherwise distribute copies to the public

  • right to create adaptations (or derivative

  The Founding Fathers recognized that

  works)—the right to prepare new works

  everyone would benefit if creative people

  based on the protected work, and

  were encouraged to create new intel ectual

  • performance and display rights—the

  and artistic works. When the United States

  right to perform a protected work, such

  Constitution was written in 1787, the

  as a stage play, or to display a work in

  framers took care to include a copyright

  public.

  clause (Article I, Section 8) stating that “The

  An author’s copyright rights may be

  Congress shall have Power ... To promote

  exercised only by the auth
or—or by a person

  the Progress of Science and useful Arts, by

  or entity to whom the author has transferred

  securing for limited times to Authors ... the

  all or part of his or her rights. If someone

  exclusive Right to their ... writings.”

  wrongful y uses the material covered by the

  The primary purpose of copyright, then, is copyright, the copyright owner can sue and

  not to enrich authors; rather, it is to promote obtain compensation for any losses suffered.

  the progress of science and the useful

  In this sense, a copyright is a type of

  arts—that is, human knowledge. To pursue

  property—it belongs to its owner (usually

  this goal, copyright encourages authors

  the author), and the courts can be asked

  in their creative efforts by giving them a

  to intervene if anyone uses it without

  mini-monopoly over their works—termed a

  permission. And, like other forms of

  copyright. But this monopoly is limited when property, a copyright may be sold by its

  it appears to conflict with the overriding

  owner or otherwise exploited for his or her

  public interest in encouraging creation of new economic benefit.

  intel ectual and artistic works general y.

  CHAPTER 1 | COPYRIGHT BASICS | 5

  Some Common Copyright

  How Is a Copyright Created

  Misconceptions

  and Protected?

  Copyright is a fast-changing area of the

  A copyright automatically comes into

  law. The copyright laws were completely

  existence the moment an author fixes his

  rewritten in 1978, and major changes were

  or her words in some tangible form—for

  made again in 1989 and 1998. Many people

  instance, the moment a book or an article is

  who are unaware of the impact of these

  input into a computer, typed, handwritten,

  changes have ideas about copyright that

  or dictated. No further action need be taken.

  are no longer true. For example:

  However, it is wise to place a valid copyright

  • “A work must be registered with the

  notice on all published works and to register

  U.S. Copyright Office to be protected

  these works in the U.S. Copyright Office

  by copyright.”

  shortly after publication.