Author Tip No. One: Copyright Protection

As an author, important thing for you to consider is why, how, and, when to protect your work.

WHY: Obviously, if you have labored over an entirely original work, an expression of yourself, a statement, you wouldn't want someone else to get away with claiming that work for him/herself, possibly even profiting from that work, right?

HOW: Literary and other forms of written text are protected by copyright protection. Actually, a work is effectively protected by copyright the moment it is written down by the author. However, it may be extremely difficult to legally prove ownership of that work without some official documentation or registration. This is where the government steps in. The Library of Congress in Washington D.C. offers official registration and public record of copyright for various types of work. If submitted, your work will be catalogued and archived in their records, and you will receive a certificate of registration stating that you have claim over the work you created. If your work is not registered with the Library of Congress, you may not sue for copyright infringement.

WHEN: The best time to register your work for copyright protection is up to you. If you are concerned about the security of your intellectual property, you may certainly register your work prior to its being published. However, be sure that your book is in its final form, with its final revisions. If significant changes are made to your work, you will have to re-register with the Library of Congress.

If you wish to find out more information about copyright protection or if you wish to have your work protected, visit http://www.clickandcopyright.com/ now.