Should I copyright my book using UK online service?

[Katwalk 10]

Hi everyone,

 

Just finished my first children's book - it's very original. I want to protect my ideas and have already sent a printed copy back to myself - probably not the best way to prove that I created the idea if needed.

 

Does anyone know if it's worth using the UK Copyright Service on https://secure-b.copyrightservice.co.uk/forms/register/online and paying the £37 to get a certificate?

 

Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

 

Thanks,

 

Kate

[Karis 11]

Hi there

 

Sending a printed copy back to yourself really means nothing. But my advice: forget worrying about people stealing your ideas and just concentrate on selling your book.

[Katwalk 10]

Yes, why not! Thanks.

[Keith Rich 10]

Yes, why not! Thanks.

 

How do you plan to get it published?

[Katwalk 10]

I'm planning on finding an agent before approaching a publishing house. Any suggestions?

[L00b 441]

Does anyone know if it's worth using the UK Copyright Service on https://secure-b.copyrightservice.co.uk/forms/register/online and paying the £37 to get a certificate?

You already own the copyright in your book, copyright arises automatically by Law in the UK (CDPA 1988, Google it) and most other jurisdictions.

 

That certificate will have about as much value as mailing it to yourself (there is no Official Register of copyright in the UK). Only you'll be £37 out-of-pocket instead of about £1. Both will amount to very little in terms of evidence, in any eventual proceedings.

 

The best you can do practically, is mark your book (and pages, and in any form, i.e. both in print and in the electronic file) with the 'c-in-a-circle' symbol, yearspan of creation (e.g. 2007-2009 if you started in 2007, or just 2009 if you only wrote it this year) and your name. Microsoft Word automatically converts © into the 'c-in-a-circle' symbol.

 

Realistically, forget about suing other people who might 'steal' your book: (i) copyright only protects your written words and/or illustrations, not the idea ('the plot') of the book, and (ii) copyright litigation often is vastly more expensive and uncertain than other forms of Intellectual Property.

 

Congratulations on your book, btw. And follow Karis' suggestion

Edited September 11, 2009 by L00b

[Katwalk 10]

Great thanks L00b. You deserve a medal!

[Karis 11]

Great thanks L00b. You deserve a medal!

 

Oy! I said the same thing in only 20 words!

[L00b 441]

Oy! I said the same thing in only 20 words!

You only get a third of the marks, because you didn't explain how you arrived at your conclusions :hihi:

[Karis 11]

I try to restrict myself to as few words as possible! The key thing here is not to worry as you can get really wrapped up in worrying about protecting your idea.

 

I've had ideas and even whole paragraphs of my work stolen (some stuff by a very large company), but on the whole, it's just not worth the hassle of worrying about it.

 

I hate to say it, Katwalk, but I would be very surprised if your idea was genuinely new. Not trying to diminish it in any way, but there are just so many books out there; everything has been done before in one fashion or another, and it's impossible to read everything. So, with that in mind, all you can do is forget about what HAS been done and concentrate on presenting your book is the best light possible and delivering the tightest manuscript you can.

[Cyclone 10]

Even if the idea is new it cannot be protected. Copyright just covers the words that you wrote, not (as L00b already said) the plot or storyline.

[Karis 11]

I wasn't talking at all about copyright, only that it's far more important to concentrate on delivering a top class manuscript and getting genuine feedback from impartial readers than it is to protectively keep it to yourself out of fear of your ideas being stolen.

 

I can't count the number of times people have refused to show me their manuscript out of fear of it being 'stolen' (by me). Then, when the rejections come flooding in and the manuscript comes to light, it's littered with typos, basic errors, and grammatical mistakes - their "god's gift" manuscript is basically unpublishable.