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More Copyright And Registraion Misinformation

Pete Hellmann

Blog #127 of 137

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June 11th, 2009 - 02:14 PM

More Copyright And Registraion Misinformation

The Washington Post recently ran an article concerning the new electronic submission copyright system. Apparently there are long delays possibly causing problems with copyright submissions. It’s an important story with a very large error. The author confuses “registration” with “copyright” almost every single time the word “copyright” appears. It is misleading, at best, and potentially quite damaging, in the worst case, to tell people that “An artist doesn't need to register a copyright to perform, publish or display an original work. But a claim filed with the government offers legal protection -- it is the only way to stop someone else from copying a work.”

Copyright in the United States is automatic upon completion of a creative work: writing it down, recording it, sculpting it, whatever the process. Registration, for US artists, provides some significant benefits, and is required before suing for infringement, but registration is not necessary for basic copyright protection. Those who have not yet registered need not worry about losing all their rights. This is not to deny the urgency of improvement in the registration process, but artists need not be paralyzed by the Copyright Office.

An excellent article by Carolyn E. Wright concerning copyright registration can be found at NatureScapes.net.

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