Legal Question in Intellectual Property in California
Book publishing question
I'm working on a fiction novel and
am interested in posting the first
drafts to a public blog to receive
feedback, but I'm afraid of someone
taking my ideas and publishing
them first. Is there a way to copy
write my material so as to allow me
the freedom to publicly display
these documents without the fear
of a plagiarist getting their hands
on my work?
1 Answer from Attorneys
Re: Book publishing question
First, the word you're looking for is "copyright" not "copy write" (which is something completely different).
Although copyright protection is automatic at the time a work is created, yes, you can register a copyright for an unpublished work with the copyright office and receive protection. If you want to allow strangers on a public forum to read your draft, you should place a copyright notice on it so they know you are not placing the work in the public domain. Even though a copyright notice (or even registration) is not required in order to receive protection under current law, it may serve as a deterrent to those who might borrow passages for their own use.
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