Fill out your U.S. copyright forms electronically—without snailing ‘em to the people in this building
Guess what. As soon as I wrote this sentence and pressed Ctrl-S, presenting my creation in fixed form, it was copyrighted under my Creative Commons License. Well, maybe it took a Web post. I’ll let the lawyers argue that one. The real point here is that without registration, I still won’t enjoy full protection.
In the past I’d have had to struggle with paper forms if I wanted to do that. But no more.
Hooks for local apps someday?
"On Tuesday, the Copyright Office will throw the switch on a system called, creatively, the ‘electronic Copyright Office,’ or eCO," reports Ars Technica. "The system has been in beta for months, and it allows creators to submit copyright registrations and even some actual works directly through the tubes." The e-filing fee will be $35 rather than $45, and in some cases you may even be able to submit your actual work via the Net. Here’s the Copyright Office’s eCO link. Who knows what’s ahead for e-book authors and others? Perhaps local software with hooks into the Copyright Office’s systems? Perhaps even in e-book creation programs? Let’s all dream in unison.
Thanks and congrats, Marybeth!
Meanwhile congratulations to Marybeth Peters, copyright register, and her staff. Next step? Can we get her reading e-books if she isn’t already. Last I knew, she didn’t even own a home PC. Her personal use of technology, I suspect, would make her more empathetic toward consumers on issues such as DRM.
Meanwhile does anyone outside the U.S. care to enlighten us on whether there’s online registration locally?
Photo: Shot shows the the James Madison Memorial Building housing the Copyright Office along with other government activities.
(Thanks to Peter Brantley.)
June 30th, 2008 at 2:12 pm
Maybe some best selling e-book authors, and/or there pulishers, those that have benefitted from their books being DRM free, and see the advantages, should get together and get her a Kindle (since she doesn’t have a home PC, which is not an issue with that machine). Properly presented, with a love note outlining how to access DRM free books, it might be the kind of education she needs - to the benefit of us all, authors and readers alike.