Editorial Reviews:
Product Description
Ignorance is not bliss in the information age. If you create original works, you must understand copyright law or risk becoming a skid mark on the information superhighway. The Copyright Handbook provides you with all the information and forms you'll need to protect all types of creative expression under U.S. and international copyright law. 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, literary works and periodicals, and compilations (databases and catalogs) *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 The 8th edition of The Copyright Handbook is completely updated to provide the latest case law, copyright registration forms and copyright regulations. It also provides a new section on permissions and releases. All forms are included as tear-outs and on CD-ROM.
Amazon.com Review
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 and a PC-formatted disk of the same material.
Customer Reviews:
Review #1: A Myriad of Information at Hand
2010-04-19 
I find myself referring to this book constantly. Has been a useful tool for me. I purchased this book from Amazon and am very pleased.
Review #2: Great Book, Nolo Does it Again
2009-07-25
A great resource about US copyrights is the NOLO Press Book, The Copyright Handbook What Every Writer Needs to Know. It will show you how to register a copyright for your book and the book also goes over the "fair use" doctrine, which is a sticky part of the law that I am not qualified to discuss-- BUT NOLO is!
Let's go over United States copyrights and trademarks briefly. Copyright protects original works of authorship, while a patent protects inventions or new discoveries. A trademark protects words, phrases, symbols, or designs identifying the source of the goods or services.
You can copyright a book or an essay.
You can trademark a book series or a logo.
You can patent a new type of book binding or an invention described in your book.
See the difference?
All My books are protected by copyright. My book series, the Passkey EA Review, is protected by a trademark. This means that, although another author may write a book about the enrolled agent exam, no one else may use the name; "Passkey EA Review." You can register a trademark yourself online for $275 at the US Trademark office website.
You are automatically granted copyright when you produce your book. Copyright exists from the moment the work is created. The copyright protection is automatic. However, you may prefer to register your copyright with the US copyright office. Registration is voluntary. Authors may choose to register their works because they want their work to be registered in the public record and have a certificate of registration. You must register your work before you bring a lawsuit for copyright infringement.
An online registration of an original work of authorship costs $35 at the US copyright office website. Go to the US Copyright office to register your copyright.
You can do it all yourself with the help of Nolo press. Check out the US Copyright office's website (the information from this post is directly off the US Copyright and US Trademark websites).
Review #3: Provides over thirty updated legal and copyright forms
2007-09-01 
Attorney Stephen Fishman's THE COPYRIGHT HANDBOOK: WHAT EVERY WRITER NEEDS TO KNOW, here appearing in its 9th updated edition to reflect the latest law and copyright regulations. Internet works are covered here, as blogs: a cd-rom provides over thirty updated legal and copyright forms, while chapters handle how to avoid infringement, handle infringers, and get permission to use copyrighted work.
Review #4: Copyright Handbook: What Every Writer Needs to Know
2007-08-13
This book is very comprehensive. It contained all the information that I needed and more. I would recommend it for anyone needing Precise information on copyright law.
Review #5: Copy This!
2007-04-02
I have to grit my teeth in anger when I think of all the wasted hours I've spent reading web site and magazine articles written by people who had no idea what they were talking about in regard to the often confusing world of copyright law.
The simple purchase and reading of Fishman's book would have saved me all that time, trouble, and confusion. He does a great job of laying out everything I've ever wanted to know about copyright law, in understandable terms...and alleviates any doubt by presenting brilliantly clear "examples" of almost every point.
If you want to learn as much as possible about copyright, without having to spend years becoming a copyright attorney, this is the book for you. |
