Legal Question in Intellectual Property in California

Your book is "copyrighted" upon putting it down on paper. For matters of proof, it is wise to submit it for formal copyright with the copyright office. If you need help in this regard, let me know.

I agree with the attorney above. Copyright law in the US is setup to grant copyright ownership to the author of the work once that author puts the work down on paper. So in essence you already own the copyright to your book just by merely writing the book. However, it is always a good idea to register the copyright to your book as soon as possible to create legally acceptable evidence (proof) that you were in fact the first to write the book and that you own the copyright to that book. If you want to discuss this further, feel free to contact me or an attorney in your area.

Kind regards,

Jim Betinol, Partner

424-229-2560

[email protected]

Withrow and Betinol Law

Consider registering your copyright. While you do not need to register it, if it is infringed after it is registered you may be entitled to statutory damages and attorneys' fees. These remedies are not available if your work is infringed prior to registration. If you file it yourself, the cost is $35 if you file online or $65 if you file by mail. Go to the Copyright Office website at copyright dot gov.