If I write a book, how do I get rights to the title before the book is complete.?

Answer 1

The simple answer is that you can't. Titles are not copyrightable. Unlike movies, wherer there is a trade association to which most movie producers belong, where you can reserve titles, the book world is too diffuse for such a thing.

For instance, about ten years ago there were books out at the same time called "Home Before Dark." Of course, if a publisher knows of another book witht he same title, it will probably choose to change the title of the new book to avoid confusion.

It is, in some circumstances, possible to get trademark protection of a sort for a title of a book, but not by registering it before use.

Answer 2

Titles of books, movies, plays, and other artwork are not copyrightable. Logos, however, are trademarkable - so although you could call your new TV series "The Next Generation", you couldn't call it "Star Trek" without the permission of the "Star Trek" trademark holder.

So in relation to books, you could call your book "The DaVinci Code" if you want to, but you couldn't use lettering or artwork that looked similar to Dan Brown's book - the legal argument is if people could possibly get confused between your book and his (and thus give you their money instead of him), you might have to pay damages.

The moment you write your own work down on paper (or on a computer), the words you write are copyrighted by you (except for the title). If you want to enforce this, though, and take someone to court for stealing it, you need to register your copyright with the government - it's smart to do this before showing your manuscript around to publishers. Once you finish the book, you can give it any title you like, but your publisher may decide to change the title for you - sometimes to make it more exciting, or to fit a series they're already publishing, or to avoid possible litigation.

Answer 3

You have no rights to the title of a book. What counts is the content and that can be copyrighted. Cost to copyright a book in the US is Thirty dollars and requires a completed copy of your book. www.allisonknight.com

Answer 4

You do not get any rights to a title. Your rights are to the content of the book. Contact the copyright office for more info. www.copyright.gov

Answer 5

Go to About.com and search for copyright laws. There is a very helpful section that will give you all the details and what you need to do.