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US COPYRIGHT
US copyright is a form of protection provided by the laws of the United States for "original works of authorship"
including literary, dramatic, musical, architectural, cartographic, choreographic, pantomimic, pictorial, graphic, sculptural,
and audiovisual creations. Copyright has come to mean that body of
exclusive rights granted by statute to authors for protection of their work. The owner of copyright has the exclusive right to
reproduce, distribute, and, in the case of certain works, publicly perform or display the work; to prepare derivative works;
in the case of sound recordings, to perform the work publicly by means of a digital audio transmission; or to license
others to engage in the same acts under specific terms and conditions.
US copyrights are issued by the US Copyright Office in Washington, DC. The US Copyright Office furnishes
information about the provisions of the copyright law and the procedures for making registration. The Office also
administers various compulsory licensing provisions of the law, which include collecting royalties.
Copyright in a work created on or after January 1, 1978, subsists from its creation and, generally endures for a term consisting of the life of the author and 70 years after the
author's death. In the case of a joint work prepared by two or more authors (who did not work for hire), the copyright generally
endures for a term consisting of the life of the last surviving author and 70 years after such last surviving author's death. In the case of an anonymous work, a
pseudonymous work, or a work made for hire, the copyright generally endures for a term of 95 years from the year of its first
publication, or a term of 120 years from the year of its creation, whichever expires first.
The US Copyright Office address is:
| U.S. Copyright Office |
| Library of Congress |
| 101 Independence Ave, S.E. |
| Washington, D.C. 20559 |
| Tel: 202-707-3000 |
| Tel: 202-707-9100 Forms/Publications Hotline |
Palm Publishers handles copyright for each book that it publishes. Palm Publishers charges $75.00 per copyright for this service. The copyright is issued in the author's name.
However, if you wish to save money and obtain your own copyright (i.e. you have multiple books to publish and wish to self-publish), you may call the Copyright Office for forms and instructions, or open/download the following forms and instructions from Palm Publishers in Adobe Acrobat .pdf format (if you have Adobe acrobat, this will open a new window in your browser with the file that you select):
Copyright Long Form TX
Copyright Short Form TX
Form TX Instructions
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