There’s no doubt you've got a great idea for a book, play, or film. So why isn't it already on the market? The truth is that there are lots of barriers to getting your work published — especially if you're self-publishing. From finding an audience to marketing and advertising — not to mention making sure your work is legal and safe from theft — there's a lot at stake when it comes to protecting your creative ideas. For more information on how to protect your creative ideas, see this article.
1. Register your creative work with the government
If you’re creative, you should always register your work with the government. You can do this at the UK copyright office website or at the Library of Congress. Registering your work, it gives you the option to take legal action if someone steals your work.
As writers, our ideas are valuable, and it hurts our personal and professional credibility when we put our work up for sale without crediting the source, properly stating the purpose of the work, making sure other people can access it, providing clear and unique social media links, and making sure no one other than you Publish Your Work.
2. Understand what constitutes copyright and how to register one
A copyright is a legal right to control the use of creative work. The law protects original works of authorship including literary, dramatic, musical, artistic, and certain other intellectual works such as computer software, performances, and sound recordings. The difference between a copyright and a patent is that a copyright protects the way an idea is expressed, whereas a patent protects an idea. When I want to publish my book, I go through a variety of steps to ensure it’s not infringing on another author’s copyright, including:
This might sound complicated, but it’s not. Armed with a basic understanding of copyright and an Internet connection, a self-published author can publish a book within a few days of submitting it to all the platforms I will be using, after which I’ll send it out for review and am ready to take my work on the market.
I didn’t start out writing books. I started out scamming myself with my website. In 2006, I built my first website for my publishing business. I let my previous business colleagues on the team know I had a new publishing business, and the next thing I knew, I had my own domain and hosting for EbookBuilders.
While I was working on it, I learned the basics of web development (HTML, CSS, PHP) so I could make my site and content work. Since I had built up a decent understanding of HTML and a basic understanding of how the Internet worked, it was relatively easy to build the site once I mastered those skills.
Like all good entrepreneurs do, I used that knowledge to build my next business and, thus, EbookBuilders went from a website for selling ebooks it all began as some bloggers and writers who took an interest in my work, to an eBook publishing marketplace that anyone can use.
To build an eBook Platform and Sell Ebooks, you need:
Those are the steps I took to get to where I am today. These are the steps every self-published author should take to publish their book.
3. Protect your work from plagiarism by putting a copyright notice on it
Plagiarism is a big problem in the writing and journalism world. You can protect your work from plagiarism by putting a copyright notice on it. If you’re sharing your work online, you can put the copyright notice in the footer of your website, at the bottom of your articles, or somewhere near the top of your blog posts.
Many businesses, products, movies, and books get a ton of references and visibility without adding copyright notices. When people are referencing your work without a copyright notice, this means that these are considered unauthorized uses of your content. Some businesses even go as far as making money off of this sort of activity. For a good article on “Copyright Infringement: Best Defense,” check out our related article on legal definitions of copyright violations.
The best way to protect your content is to put a copyright notice on it. However, it's important to note that you should have a notice put on your content for at least the following reasons:
to prevent people from sharing your content without a copyright notice (this is called "fair use")
to place your content within the "safe harbour" provisions of copyright law (both U.S. and U.K.)
to give people notice that the content they're viewing isn't original (an illustration from the Plagiarism: How Lawyers & Courts Tackle It & Other Legal Issues blog shows just how important this is)
to give others some notice that your content might not be original (for example, digital copyright organizations usually put notices on all of their works indicating the source of the material)
because your copyright notice is the best defence against infringements that occur without it (see above)
because there's no harm in putting a copyright notice on your work if you do it in good faith (any use of your work that has a legal connection is a possible defence to a copyright infringement claim)
If you choose not to put a copyright notice on your work, it's very important that you definitely place a copyright notice on any other material that infringes your copyright.
4. Be aware of the rights you have to your work and how to protect these rights
It’s important to know your rights and how to protect your work. By being aware of your rights, you can protect your work from being stolen or copied. Also, by knowing your rights, you can make sure to get paid fairly for your work.
Artists have been in the news for years for using illegal methods to get paid. For example, you don’t need to look much further than the artists who sell their paintings for massive amounts of money or the users of virtual items such as Pokemon and World of Warcraft. Sadly, employees who take part in illegal activities often work in secret hoping to avoid punishment. It can be incredibly hard for people who are working in these kinds of illegal activities to stop. Luckily, you can learn from the artists and other employees who are breaking the law, and this can hopefully prevent any similar crimes in the future.
Most of us assume that if we work hard enough, we’d be recognized and rewarded for our hard work, and this isn’t just a fantasy for an artist — it’s the reality for many. It wasn’t long ago that being a talented musician or an actress was mostly about luck. An unknown artist would aim to get as much exposure as possible for their exciting music, drama, or current events work. Now, you can be recognized and rewarded for the work you do no matter how talented you are. The path to this recognition may be difficult, but it’s possible — and it requires a few more entrepreneurial skills to get started.
In 2019, interns working at major publishing houses were shocked to find out that they weren’t paid anything at all. They usually received, on average, $4 an hour. Most intern workers are unpaid interns, and it’s no doubt that there are companies out there who are just as bad as illegitimate publishers.
In 2019, hobbyist photographer Jordan Morris started an online photography publication to help fellow hobbyist photographers.
5. Consider using an intellectual property lawyer when dealing with copyrights and intellectual property disputes
An Intellectual Property lawyer can help you with any legal or business disputes that come up regarding copyrights and intellectual property. An intellectual property lawyer can help you if you find that someone is using your content without your permission. Also, if you’re in a dispute with another business or person regarding copyright or intellectual property, a lawyer can help you. Pro-tip: Enlist the help of an intellectual property lawyer specializing in intellectual property so that they can help you put the best possible terms in your contract.
Authors Lauren Harris-Pincus and Mark Kelly discuss how to develop readers and entertainers for their new book, The Book on Co-Owning, which features lessons on how to not only co-own a home but also co-authored an entire book on video games.
What is copyright?
Copyright is the law that gives authors the exclusive right to control the distribution of their material. That means other people can publish your content, but only you can control it. Typically, when people discuss copyright, they are referring to copyright protection for works of authorship in the form of a work.
Copyright lasts for the life of the author plus sixty years. Generally, if you create original content, you can copyright your work no later than 28 years after the death of the creator — unless you have another special circumstance in which you can copyright your work sooner. For example, if you create an original product and add features and improvements after the product is created, then your copyright can last indefinitely. That is the case regardless of what state you live in. There is also an exception to copyright that gives you an exception six months after the death of the author. That exception only applies for original works, and you have to give that exception notice, actually, sign the work, and serve the copyright notice on the other person or organization who is making the derivative work, like editing or translating the now-copyrighted work. Of course, the law doesn’t just cover original content.
Comments