The Copyright Handbook: How to Protect & Use Written Works

Copyright law is a complex field, and it's crucial for writers to understand what's entailed. Stephen Fishman covers what a copyright is, how it's created and protected, limitations and transfer of ownership, how long it lasts, and what copyright infringement is all about. There are chapters on copyright registration, copyright notice, and how to deal with errors or omissions. Fishman also wades into the issues of derivative works and compilations, works for hire, and jointly authored works. He also tackles the confusion of copyrights in the online world of electronic publishing; the book is worth its price for this chapter alone. The appendix contains a variety of sample forms and blank forms.

Written in plain English, this must-have handbook tells you everything you need to know about:

*how to register a written work with the copyright office
*what works can be protected
*when and how to use a copyright notice
*copyright protection for works for hire, adaptations, new editions, electronic mail and compilations

*rights and duration of ownership
*transfer of copyright ownership
*what constitutes infringement and how to avoid it
*how to recognize an adapted or recast work
*fair use: when and how copyrighted material can be used
*electronic publishing rights
*registration of multimedia works and multimedia rights
*how to protect written works on the Internet