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Copyright takes affect the moment your piece of work is created. Therefore, if you are the author, you can automatically
claim copyright. However, if you want legal protection for your writings, paintings, ideas, ect.., you must get the work
copyrighted.
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In order to get your work registered, you must take the following steps: (These instructions are geared towards poets)
1. Complete form TX for published or non-published literary works. (You can download the forms at http://www.loc.gov/copyright/forms/
)
2. Send a check for $30.00 for the registration fee.
(This fee is good until June 30,2002).
(The
fee is non-refundable, so you're not getting the money back.)
3. Send a copy of your manuscript. Poems may be sent
individually, but it's better to send them as collection in the form of the book. The poems will be classified as part of
the book, not as individual poems. Your poems will not be returned either, they will be kept on record at the Library of
Congress.
4. Send your form TX, check, and your manuscript to:
Copyright Office, Library of Congress
101 Independence Avenue, S.E.
Washington, D.C. 20559-6000.
5. Make sure you alert everyone
that has a printed form of your poems by putting the copyright symbol on your poems.
i.e. My Poem (c)2001
6. Send your package by certified mail and get a return reciept.
7. Copyright registration is effective
the date your work is recieved in their office.
8. Learn more than you ever wanted to know about copyrights
at their homepage:http://www.loc.gov/copyright/
Click here to go directly to the copyright page
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