OT - copyright question

Copyright is automatic once you have created something. You don't have to do anything to register it.

I'm asking because at my office we create a lot of brochures and pamphlets, and a bimonthly newsletter. We also have a lot of recorded history that we'd like to put into a book format but don't want people to steal from us.

I am a writer (of poetry and short stories) who is so far unpublished (not even self-published, which I may end up doing at some point). There is a thing called a "Poor man's copyright" that I use. You write up whatever it is (I usually do a hand-written copy for this, just so that it is my own hand-writing for comparison sake if needed), date it, seal it in a self-addressed stamped envelope, and scotch-tape all openings... Then take it to the Post Office (inside where the actual workers are) and pass it to them and have them "cancel" it with their stamp and date-stamp it clearly showing the date, and pass it back to you. Put it somewhere safe, and never NEVER open it! If at some point in time someone claims your work as their own, you have sealed / dated proof that it is YOUR work! The Post Mistress at my local Post Office says she has had a few local writers do this.

I hope that helps! :o)

Peace! Gemini

To some extent, it depends where you are. In the USA, you have automatic copyright as soon as you create something written, _but_ to be able to sue someone for ripping it off, you have to register it with the Copyright Office. Registration is fairly easy and, last I heard, inexpensive. The US copyright office is connected to the Library of Congress. The first thing you do is print your stuff with the international copyright symbol (that's the c in a circle) and, for double surety, also the word "copyright" and the name of the copyight owner. (Used to be you also had to put the date, but that's changed.) Then you get the forms from the copyright office and send them in with, last I heard, two copies of the book/whatever. But check with them first, because it's been a long time.

Getting an ISBN and a bar code (two different operations) are entirely separate and need to be done before you print the book/etc, so that you can print them on/in it. They're less important if you don't intend to sell the book, but just want to have it in book format for ease of storage. If you intend to get them into stores, you definitely want both the ISBN and the barcode.

=Tamar

Part of it is for ease of storage, ability to get information to members, archival purposes (our history dates back to the founding of the city), and for use on the web.

Along with the organization, we have a museum, library, and archive. It makes having a copyright on our written history more important.

For use on the web, I think you do want to register the copyright as well as put the marks on. Websites do routinely get copied and every bit helps.

Archives should include _both_ the originals and the book form. The book form can be used for most reference work in the library and archive location, and for sending to members, but the originals should be kept for real scholarly credibility.

=Tamar