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Position:Home>Visual Arts> I want to get my work copyrighted and what is the process and cost?Question: I want to get my work copyrighted and what is the process and cost!? Best Answer - Chosen by Asker: What Boysnigh said was wrong, it's what's called a 'poor man's copyright' and it won't hold up in court!. They'll just say you mailed yourself an open, empty envelope and put stuff inside later!. http://www!.copyright!.gov/help/faq/faq-ge!.!.!. If you're in the USA, your work is copyrighted soon as your name goes on, but for court purposes having it officially registered with the copyright office is needed!. Depending on what you do--the cost can be low or high!. If you do paintings for instance, they'd be copyrighted separately unless you're doing a 'portfolio' of a year's work all registered at once, then the grouping would just be one charge instead of individual charges!. Same for photographs, cartoons, etc!. If you register them as a group, it's just the one fee!. You can get forms over here: http://www!.copyright!.gov/register/visual!.!.!. Artists use form VA for visual arts!. It takes 2 minutes to fill out the short form, only about 5 minutes for the long form!. I've copyrighted two items, both were easy to do the paperwork on!. the main site is here: http://www!.copyright!.gov/ They put the cost up recently, it used to be $30 for the longest time, then went to $35 five years ago, and just this past year it increased to $45!. Turn around on the paperwork used to be about 6 weeks, but after 9/11 it went to 7 or 8 months!. However you're 'covered' as soon as your forms and money get dropped in the mail to them!.Www@QuestionHome@Com It depends on where you live!. Just google for your country!. In Australia, for example, you automatically own the copyright of your original work - there is no process!. The copyright lasts for your lifetime plus 70 years!. However, people have the "fair" right to use your work for "research or study" purposes!.!.Www@QuestionHome@Com In the US, to register a copyright you must send it to the address on this page: http://www!.copyright!.gov/register/visual!.!.!. it says the cost is 45 dollars!.Www@QuestionHome@Com mail yourself a copy of the work and don't open it!. - That will hold up in court as a legal copyright!.Www@QuestionHome@Com Probably a lot of money!.Www@QuestionHome@Com |