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| Pen vs. Paragraph |
So, I said that I'll write about my
travails on my journey towards publication. This is going to be the first entry
going in that direction. I guess everything really started in October, when I
finally completed the fourth edit of my book and I decided that it was time to
stop stalling. I needed to crawl out of my shell, straighten my antennae and
tackle the literary world.
Thinking about the task before
me, I could practically hear crickets chirping in my mind. I had no clue where
to start. My bookish nature and thirst for knowledge came to my rescue - well,
that and Google – while my naturally cross-eyed attitude concerning legal
paragraphs settled me on my first battle. I needed to figure out the legalities
concerning copyright. So I had finished a book, but how could I defend my
copyright to it? Did I even automatically have copyright? Did I need to register
my literary work first?
One confusing charge through
legal texts, a question to my sister who studies Communication and a Google
search later, I was happy to know that in Austria copyright was automatically
assigned to every completed literary work. Checking further, Wikipedia educated
me on the copyright situation in the UK and America – for details check out
these links: Copyright
UK and Copyright
USA.
Of course, knowing the pitfalls
of information presented on Wikipedia and wanting to appease my slight
paranoia, I double checked with the Intellectual
Property Office in the UK and the U.S. Copyright
Office. It turns out that all three countries signed the Berne Convention
which assures instant copyright to authors of literary work, meaning that
literary works don’t need to be registered in order to be copyrighted. Nevertheless,
you still have to be able to prove that you were the one who produced the work
first.
The paragraphs geared up for a
second attack…What precautions did I have to take in order to be able to prove
my claim on being the original author in case of infringement? This time the Austrian Authors’ Association came to
my rescue: I was advised to send a printed version of my finished manuscript to
myself via registered mail and to store it. In case of a court case, I should
then take the unopened envelope directly to my lawyer. Another possibility in
Austria is registering the work (Werkregistrierung) with the Literar-Mechana association for a small fee. I
really recommend getting in touch with your country's writers’ guild or a
recognised writers’ association in order to clear up any more uncertainties
concerning legalities and your right to your work.
In the end, my first copyright battle
101 was fought and won. My bounty? A safely-stored envelope collecting dust on
my shelf until the next paragraph battle beckons.
Useful links for UK and US authors:
·
Writer’s Guild of Great Britain: http://www.writersguild.org.uk/
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