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Copyright

Registering Your Copyright

How Do I Put A Copyright Notice On My Work?

You do not need to register your copyright or even place a copyright notice on the work to enjoy the protection of the copyright law. Materials are copyrighted as soon as they are created.

However, it can be helpful to put a copyright notice on your work. A simple statement will let others know that the work is covered by copyright and that you hold the rights. The customary form is the word “copyright," the year, and the name of the creator:

Copyright 2001 by Prof. Ima Mentor

You can establish the strongest legal claim by paying a nominal fee and registering your copyrighted materials with the US Copyright Office. Forms for registering copyright may be downloaded from the US Copyright Office website.

The Creative Commons organization offers a variety of licensing options for creators who would like to retain some copyright protection but still allow others to use and build upon their work.

Releasing or Sharing Your Rights

How Can I Give Others Rights to My Copyrighted Work?

There are multiple ways to give others rights to works that you own the copyright to. You may want an organization or individual to be able to print, distribute, sell, or reuse your work. One method is to put your work under a Creative Commons license that allows others to reuse it. If you only want a specific party to have these rights, however, then you will want to create a copyright release or permissions form that indicates the rights that they are allowed.

Tools

Author's Rights

How Do Authors Manage Their Rights?

When writing a new work, authors begin as automatic copyright holders of that work. However, when publishing their work as an article or book, authors may sign over their copyright to the publisher. Negotiation during publishing agreements is important in determining your rights as an author moving forward. When publishing your work, consider how you want to be able to use your work in the future. Writing and attaching an addendum to your publishing agreement may be beneficial in retaining certain rights. You may also need to consider where your funding comes from and if you have an obligation to make your work publicly available. Review your publishing agreements carefully and keep written documentation of all signed documents and agreements.

 

Examples of Rights the Author May Seek to Retain

  • make the work accessible in Tennessee Research and Creative Exchange (TRACE) or another digital repository
  • use part of the work as a basis for a future publication
  • send copies of the work to colleagues
  • share copies of the work with students
  • comply with the NIH Public Access Policy or other funding agency policies
  • present the work at conference or meeting and give copies of the work to attendees
  • use a different or extended version of the work for a future publication
  • make copies of the work for personal use and educational use
  • use graphs, charts, and statistical data for a future publication
  • use the work for educational use such as lecture notes or study guides
  • comply with public access mandates
  • deposit supplemental data from the work in an institutional or subject repository
  • place a copy of the work on electronic reserves or use for student course-packs
  • include the work in future derivative works
  • make an oral presentation of the work
  • include the work in a dissertation or thesis
  • use the work in a compilation of works or collected works
  • expand the work into a book form or book chapter
  • retain patent and trademark rights of processes or procedures contained in the work
  • allowing (or not allowing) artificial intelligence tools to use your work

Attribution: This list was adapted from that of the Bernard Becker Medical Library.

Author's Rights Resources