# Copyrights



## DarkAngel (Jun 17, 2016)

I am considering publishing to Smashwords. Does anyone know what I should do about copyrighting and such?


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## Malik (Jun 17, 2016)

It's copyrighted the minute you publish it. You can register the copyright with the Library of Congress; it's an easy process but it's by no means necessary from a legal standpoint.

Your primary concern should be writing something beautiful enough and innovative enough that people would want to steal it.


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## Russ (Jun 17, 2016)

I will go one further:



> Copyright protection exists from the moment the work is created in a fixed and tangible medium of expression.


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## neodoering (Jan 28, 2017)

DarkAngel said:


> I am considering publishing to Smashwords. Does anyone know what I should do about copyrighting and such?



Hi, DarkAngel.  
People say that it's not necessary to formally copyright your works, but personally I want the library of congress to have a file on my project, that anyone can look up and verify.  The address you want is here:  https://eco.copyright.gov/eService_enu/start.swe?SWECmd=Start&SWEHo=eco.copyright.gov.  Create an account, register your work, pay the fee, and in six months they'll send you a registration certificate.  Relatively easy, and gives you ammo if anyone tries to rip off your work.


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## Garren Jacobsen (Jan 29, 2017)

neodoering said:


> Hi, DarkAngel.
> People say that it's not necessary to formally copyright your works, but personally I want the library of congress to have a file on my project, that anyone can look up and verify.  The address you want is here:  https://eco.copyright.gov/eService_enu/start.swe?SWECmd=Start&SWEHo=eco.copyright.gov.  Create an account, register your work, pay the fee, and in six months they'll send you a registration certificate.  Relatively easy, and gives you ammo if anyone tries to rip off your work.



It's also required if you want to claim statutory damages or even sue according to the US code.


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## Steerpike (Jan 30, 2017)

Yes, as Brian says it is necessary to register the copyright to obtain certain benefits, even though copyright protection comes into place the moment you create and fix the work (not the moment you publish it). To bring a suit for infringement, it has to be registered. To get statutory damages and possible attorneys fees, which is the only thing that really makes enforcement feasible in many cases, you have to registered before infringement or within 3 months of publication. Since you don't have any way of knowing when infringement will occur, that means register within 3 months of publication.


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