Hi everyone first question ive asked here! Just wandering how much does it cost to have my book copyrighted?

Question

Just a general idea of a copy right price. Does it depend on the book specifics or is it a standard price? Also where do i go to get a copyright?

Answer 1

You will send the official form along with your material to be copyrighted and the $45.00 filing fee to the Official Copyright Office.

Answer 2

The cost is not the issue. The FIRST thing you must do is to display the proper copyright information in the book as it is printed. Without that, you have limited options for copyrighting the book.

Proper copyright form is:

© Copyright, 2007, (Your name here)

Once you have done that, the book is copyrighted. You are not required to send the book off, and you are not required to pay the fee.

So, why is there a fee, forms, and the need to send the book off? In most cases, you will never need to do this. But, if there is a case in which you need to pursue infringement on your book (rarely happens) you will need to have the "Claim to Copyright" papers filed. You can file them any time, not just upon publication, as was the practice before the copyright laws amended a few years back.

Answer 3

You can do this at the US Copyright Office – see the last 2 links in the source box. The application is fairly simple & the cost is $45 per application.

Despite what others state, a "poor man's" copyright is NOT the same as registering it. Here's what the US Copyright Office has to say:

"The practice of sending a copy of your own work to yourself is sometimes called a 'poor man’s copyright.' There is no provision in the copyright law regarding any such type of protection, and it is not a substitute for registration."

Hope that helps! I wish you much success & happiness in all your ventures!

Answer 4

Once you have written your book - expressed it in a fixed medium like paper or on a hard drive - it is copyrighted to you. No charge. However, do you anticipate having to prove you wrote it, and when? In that case, registering your copyright can be an advantage, a government time stamp on your effort. And each work is $45, no matter the book's subject matter.

Answer 5

Copyright is handled by the Library of Congress. Registration of copyright for a book is $45 as of 7/1/2006.
http://www.copyright.gov/docs/fees.html