Help

1. Be sure that your work is eligible. The following shows who is eligible to register their copyright with the U.S. Copyright office:
   • On the date of first publication, one or more of the authors is a national or domiciliary of the United States, or is a national, domiciliary, or sovereign authority of a treaty party or is a stateless person wherever that person may be domiciled.
   • The work is first published in the United States or in a foreign nation that, on the date of first publication, is a treaty party. For purposes of this condition, a work that is published in the United States or a treaty party within 30 days after publication in a foreign nation that is not a treaty party shall be considered to be first published in the United States or such treaty party, as the case may be.
   • The work is a sound recording that was first fixed in a treaty party.
   • The work is a pictorial, graphic, or sculptural work that is incorporated in a building or other structure, or an architectural work that is embodied in a building and the building or structure is located in the United States or a treaty party.
   • The work is first published by the United Nations or any of its specialized agencies, or by the Organization of American States.
   • The work is a foreign work that was in the public domain in the United States prior to 1996 and its copyright was restored under the Uruguay Round Agreements Act (URAA)
   • The work comes within the scope of a Presidential proclamation.
2. Download and print the proper form from the U.S. Copyright website (www.copyright.gov).
   • Literary works: Form TX http://www.copyright.gov/forms/formtx.pdf
   • Performing Arts: Form PA (You will need this form if your work is a stage or screen play) http://www.copyright.gov/forms/formpa.pdf
   • Sound Recordings: Form SR http://www.copyright.gov/forms/formsr.pdf
   • Visual Arts: Form VA http://www.copyright.gov/forms/formva.pdf
   
   Send the completed application, the filing fee of $45.00 USD and 2 copies of your work to:
   Library of Congress
   Copyright Office
   101 Independence Ave SE
   Washington, DC 20559-6000
   
   
3. Your registration with the copyright office takes effect the moment your application, fee, and 2 copies of your work arrive at the office. The copyright office will send a certificate of registration to your mailing address in approximately 4 months.
   
   If you need further information, please visit the United States Copyright website at www.copyright.gov.

Last updated: 2009-10-16 15:59:36 | Back to top

The copyright notice is a combination of the copyright year and the information entered in the Copyright Notice field (including the copyright holder's name). The following shows how Lulu creates a notice using the copyright information provided in the product wizard.

Copyright Year: 2006
Copyright Notice: by Grace Meadows. All rights reserved.
The above information forms this copyright notice: © 2006 by Grace Meadows. All rights reserved.

The complete copyright notice appears on the Product Detail page on Lulu.

Last updated: 2009-11-03 06:27:16 | Back to top

According to United States copyright law, a work is considered copyrighted as soon as it is created in a tangible form. In other words, you own the copyright to your book as soon as you write it. You don’t have to register with the copyright office for protection. However, holding a registered copyright can can be useful in the event of litigation.

• Both published and unpublished works are considered copyrighted.
• If you register your work with the copyright office, this registration can be used in court should a lawsuit occur. It provides protection for your work if someone infringes or challenges your copyright.
• If you believe that someone else has infringed your copyright, you should consult an attorney. You can file a civil suit; a criminal investigation may be appropriate.
• Keep in mind that US copyright law doesn’t cover all types of works. Titles, names, slogans, and concepts are examples of materials that are not protected by copyright. You are responsible for knowing whether your work is a protected type.
• Remember that although the US has copyright relations with many nations across the world, not all countries honor the US’s copyright laws.

Note: Please keep in mind that Lulu does not offer legal advice or protection. Following copyright laws is the responsibility of you as a Lulu author because you retain the copyright to your work when it is published on Lulu.com. For more information, check out the United States Copyright Office online at www.copyright.gov.

Last updated: 2009-10-16 15:59:36 | Back to top

You, as a publisher through Lulu, are responsible for respecting copyrights. When you use another work within your own, make sure that you have the proper copyright permissions.

• For works published since 1978, copyright protection lasts for the lifetime of the author plus 70 years.
• For works before 1978, the copyright duration varies. It is always best to research a work to determine whether it is still protected. The US Copyright Office can help you do this.
• Many works are in the public domain (particularly older works) because their copyright has expired or they don’t qualify for protection. You may use these unreservedly. Make sure that the edition or translation that you want to use is not copyrighted by the editor or translator.
• The law provides specific exceptions to the use of protected work. The fair use clause of United States copyright law allows limited portions of copyrighted work to be used for criticism or academic purposes. However, genres like “fan fiction” are not considered fair use and do violate copyright law. Since it is sometimes difficult to determine, it is best to obtain permission to use copyrighted material if there is any doubt at all.
• Images are protected by copyright as well as the written word. Even if a certain work of art is in the public domain, the copyright for the actual image that you have may be held by the photographer who took that particular image. You need the copyriight holder's permission to use the work.
• Many online resources contain information about works in the public domain; some sites provide galleries of images that may be used. It is worthwhile to do the research to ensure that your book or project does not violate any copyright laws, especially older works.

Note: Lulu does not offer legal advice or protection. Following copyright laws is your responsibility as a Lulu author or publisher because you retain the copyright to your work when it is published on Lulu.com. For more information, check out the United States Copyright Office online at www.copyright.gov.

Last updated: 2009-10-16 15:56:33 | Back to top

Licenses provide legal protection for the work produced by authors, artists, and other creators. Laws vary among countries and Lulu is not in a position to determine the specifics of the intellectual property regulations in your country. However, various international treaties and agreements regulate the treatment of intellectual property.

Here are links to a variety of sources that discuss intellectual property.

United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization

• Collection of National Copyright Laws
• Universal Copyright Convention
• Copyright (in general)

Berne Convention for the Protection of Literary and Artistic Works (World Intellectual Property Organization)

United States Copyright Office

• Copyright Office Basics
• International Copyright

Lulu creators may choose from a variety of licensing schemes, including the following.

• GNU General Public License
• Creative Commons alternative copyright (Legal Concepts discussion)

Lulu also allows its creators to design a personalized license. The University of Arizona Library provides the Alternative Publishing & Copyright Agreements page, containing links to a variety of agreements you may find helpful.

Last updated: 2009-11-03 06:36:03 | Back to top

Lulu respects the intellectual property of others, and we ask our creators to do the same. You must own the copyright to any material you publish on Lulu. Because of this, we cannot allow authors to publish "fan fiction" or any stories based on another creator's work unless you have specifically obtained the rights to that work. Lulu will, in appropriate circumstances and at its discretion, disable and/or terminate the accounts of users who may be infringing upon the intellectual property rights of others.

We ask all Lulu members to let us know immediately if they have any reason to suspect that any material on Lulu infringes on someone else's rights. If a user believes his or her intellectual property rights are being infringed, please let us know. When we are informed of such a violation, we will act immediately to remove the items in question. As a community of content creators and users, we hope that Lulu members will look out for one another in this respect. Users who violate our policies on intellectual property risk being banned from the site.

If you believe that your work has been copied in a way that constitutes copyright infringement, or your intellectual property rights have been otherwise violated, you will need to provide to Lulu the following important information:

1. An electronic or physical signature of the person authorized to act on behalf of the owner of the copyright or other intellectual property interest;
2. A description of the copyrighted work or other intellectual property that you believe has been infringed;
3. A description of where the material that you claim is infringing is located on www.lulu.com;
4. Your address, telephone number, and email address;
5. A statement by you that you have a good faith belief that the disputed use is not authorized by the copyright or intellectual property owner, its agent, or the law;
6. A statement by you, made under penalty of perjury, that the above information in your Notice is accurate and that you are the copyright or intellectual property owner or authorized to act on the copyright or intellectual property owner's behalf.

Notices of claims of copyright or other intellectual property infringement can be sent to:

Nick Popio
Lulu Enterprises, Inc.
Fax: 919-459-5867
Email: npopio@lulu.com

E-mails sent to npopio@lulu.com for purposes other than communication about copyright claims may not be acknowledged or responded to.

Last updated: 2009-11-03 06:33:04 | Back to top