how can you copyright your own stories?

Question

i have a friend who writes. he was wondering if theirs any costs, or legalities. also he is scheptical about yahoo answers so give me some good ones!!!

Answer 1

You can start here to get the information:
http://www.copyright.gov

You can buy the service from legalzoom.com
There is also plenty of information on that site
http://www.legalzoom.com/

I have bought a copyright service from them. I was very satisfied.

Now you can tell your friend how good Yahoo Answers is!

Answer 2

Tell your friend not to bother with the "poor man's copyright," as it doesn't actually exist in the US. He can do what the others said, go through the Copyright Office.

But let him know that once he prints it in a fixed and tangible medium, it has gained copyright protection. The registration of that copyright just gives him prima facie proof if there's ever a dispute.

Answer 3

Here's how you do the "poor man's copyright":

You take your stories and put them in an envelope, and take it to the Post Office. Tell the person behind the counter what you're doing. they will seal up the envelope and tape it shut, and then stamp across the tape joint to show that the envelope is officially sealed. they will postmark it with the date, and you "send" it to yourself by registered mail on the spot. Then when you send your story out, just write "copyright John Smith, 2007" on it someplace.

If, God forbid, you ever have to sue anybody, you open up the envelope in court and prove that you wrote the story first and had already claimed copyright.

Legal.

Answer 4

all the characters of their unique form (different than for Shrek) are interior the standard public area interior the U. S.. the sweetness and The Beast case, the character Belle would no longer be, nor the character Aurora from sound asleep splendor. comparable with The Little Mermaid--each and all the characters you listed are Disney additions and subsequently copyright. interior the united kingdom, each little thing concerning Peter Pan is under copyright, and consistently would be.

Answer 5

United States Library of Congress Copyright office. You fill out a form which can be downloaded on the net and submit it with the filing fee which is negligible.

http://www.copyright.gov/

Answer 6

You own the copyright of any written work you produce. If you want to register the copyright, you can get the information and forms and fees at www.copyright.gov

Answer 7

Go through the Library of Commerce and for only two-hundred and some-odd dollars "he" [You, right? ; ) ] can get *both* a copyright *and* an ISBN number, which helps to identify your book once it gets published.

Do you know how many books are out there about Nine - Eleven called "Aftermath"? : /

Answer 8

Yes, your friend can copyright his own stories, have him
try the link below

Answer 9

Register the work with the Copyright Office so that the works will be protected from being plagiarized or claimed by others as their work.

Answer 10

He can always have a notary to stamp and date a copy of the title page and manuscript, and then mail it to himself, keep it unopened.

The mailing and notary seal verifies his writing it and the date of that.

It's called a poor man's copyright.

Most banks have a notary, and will do the service free if you have an account

BTW - Note to Stiggo

Yes - the poor man's copyright does exist. I have used it three times in state and federal court to successfully win copyright claims.