About Copyright

Copyright law is intended to protect both readers and writers. To ensure eBooks are following copyright law, all of our books undergo a content evaluation process before they are published (to read about this process, visit our Content Evaluation FAQs.). From our Book Country members, we expect that any and all eBooks and manuscripts for review are not in violation of any copyright law.

Read these handy copyright FAQs below to get the Book Country copyright basics:

*Please note: Due to the nature and complexity of the legal system, Book Country does not claim to have intimate knowledge of the specific details regarding legal questions. For more detailed information about legal and U.S. Copyright concerns, speak to a local attorney or visit www.copyright.gov for more information.

Do I need to copyright my eBook?
If U.S. Copyright is automatic, then why do people register for U.S. Copyright?
What is the difference between U.S. Copyright protected and U.S. Copyright registered?
How can I tell if content is U.S. Copyright protected?
Does citing the source of material clear me of U.S. Copyright infringement?
How do I obtain permission and what do I do with it?

Do I need to copyright my eBook?

You certainly don't have to copyright your eBook. By common law, the moment you create a work, the rights to that work belong to you. However, the only official way to protect against people stealing your content or ideas is to register your work with the U.S. Copyright Office.

If you're considering obtaining a copyright for your eBook but don't want to deal with the hassle, we can help. U.S. Copyright Registration can be added as an optional service to any package (Visit our Publishing Packages & Services section for more information.). If you choose to use our copyright service, Book Country will complete the necessary paperwork and submit it, along with the required copies of the eBook file, to the U.S. Copyright Office.

Once registration is complete, you will receive an official certificate that verifies your eBook's coverage under U.S. copyright regulations.
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If U.S. Copyright is automatic, then why do people register for U.S. Copyright?

U.S. Copyright protection attaches immediately and automatically as soon as you fix the work in question in a tangible form. That tangible form might be a printed manuscript, but computer disks (or even your computer hard drive) can also be considered tangible forms. Registering a copyright with the U.S. Copyright Office creates a public record of the basic information of your book.
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What is the difference between U.S. Copyright protected and U.S. Copyright registered?

U.S. Copyright protection is secured upon creation of your work and provides you the right to stop another person from using your work without permission. U.S. Copyright registration is secured when material is officially registered with the U.S. government. Having your material officially registered with the U.S. Copyright office allows you to take legal action to recover a monetary value if someone uses your work illegally.
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How can I tell if content is U.S. Copyright protected?

In most cases, any picture, material, text, information, quote, map, song, or illustration that you personally did not create is U.S. Copyright protected by the person who created and/or published the material. Any text or pictures found in a book, magazine, or newspaper is U.S. Copyright protected by the publisher, artist, photographer, or another individual. Most information found on the Internet is U.S. Copyright protected.
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Does citing the source of material clear me of U.S. Copyright infringement?

No. A citation will not protect you in a court of law in a U.S. Copyright case. You must obtain and keep written permission from the U.S. Copyright holder.
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How do I obtain permission and what do I do with it?

In order to obtain permission, you can contact the original U.S. Copyright holder and explain what work you wish to use and for what purpose. In order to not be held liable in a lawsuit you must request and obtain written permission from the copyright holder to use the material in publication.
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