How to Obtain a Copyright for Your Work

If you have ever thought about writing a book or a magazine article, you may want to consider protecting your work with a copyright. A copyright simply means that you own this piece of work and anyone who would want to use the whole thing or part of it will need to get permission from you first. How to get a copyright can be very easy but you will want to make sure that you are completely protected by it. Hiring a specialized attorney to do this may be your best option.

Finding a Good Copyright Attorney

If you live in Texas and you want to find a good lawyer, look in your local phone book under copyright attorney in Dallas and you will find many names for you to contact. Another way to find an attorney would be to conduct a search on the internet. Make sure you look at an attorney who specializes in copyright law since they will know exactly what needs to be done. Check with several of the offices that are listed in order to get pricing information. Each of them will have their own set of prices for copyrights. Choose one that will give you the best deal on it as well as the most benefits. You could also ask any family members if they have ever used one of these lawyers and get information from them.

How the Copyright Process Works

Once you have found an attorney to work with, you will need to meet with him or her to give them the written piece of work you have. They will review it to make sure that a copyright is able to be obtained for it. If it is, they will fill out the required paperwork that needs to be submitted to the copyright office and have you sign it. Make sure you read the entire application prior to signing to see if everything you want is in there. The application goes to the copyright office and they go over it and study the piece you have submitted. Once it has been approved, a letter will be sent to your attorney as well as any copyright documentation. Your attorney will keep a copy of all of this on file in his office and give you the original documents. Keep these records in a safe place in case you need it in the future.

You will be protected with a copyright for a certain amount of time, usually seventeen years. After this time, you can renew your copyright. If you choose not to renew it, it will then become part of the public domain which means that anyone can use it in part or whole. When you meet with your attorney, he or she will go over all of this with you at that time. When the copyright expires, your attorney will file the appropriate paperwork for a renewal. This new paperwork should be kept by you in the same place as the original papers.