1. Kstaraga

    Kstaraga Active Member

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    Adding to a Copyrighted Work

    Discussion in 'Self-Publishing' started by Kstaraga, Dec 7, 2021.

    I'm not sure if this is in the correct forum. If not, please feel free to move my thread.

    So, I was thinking about things that could possibly go wrong when publishing books. If a person pays for a copyright for their book and after submitting it to copyright, they realize that they have forgotten a few key details - are they still allowed to make that change to their story? Will that story they submitted still be copyrighted and the new changes will not be copyrighted or does this void the copyright on your entire work? Would like to know the answer to this, thanks! :)
     
  2. Cephus

    Cephus Contributor Contributor

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    Then you have to pay for it again. Any alterations need to be copyrighted in their current form if you're going to do it that way.
     
  3. Kstaraga

    Kstaraga Active Member

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    So would that be saying if you later made some addition that you would need to copyright the entire work again because the current copyright won't be any good?

    Or is it that any changes wouldn't be copyrighted, but the main idea and words that have stayed the same as the original copyright are still under the original copyright?
     
  4. evild4ve

    evild4ve Critique is stranger than fiction Supporter Contributor

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    This seems technical and involved - and it doesn't say what jurisdiction... possibly a matter for a copyright lawyer?
     
  5. Cephus

    Cephus Contributor Contributor

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    Your work is copyrighted the second that you write it in any fixed form. Registering just gives you more legal protection. Registering copyright fixes the specific version that you submit. You really need to speak to an attorney if you have specific concerns beyond that.
     
  6. Kstaraga

    Kstaraga Active Member

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    Just a hypothetical scenario, and I'll throw in the USA for that scenario.
     
  7. Kstaraga

    Kstaraga Active Member

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    Thank you =)
     
  8. SapereAude

    SapereAude Contributor Contributor

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    Beyond copyright, there's also the matter of ISBNs. Once you assign an ISBN to a work and publish it, if you then make changes to the work it becomes a new edition, and requires a new ISBN in addition to a new copyright registration.
     
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  9. Steerpike

    Steerpike Felis amatus Contributor

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    Depends on how significant the revisions are. (In the U.S)
     
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  10. Kstaraga

    Kstaraga Active Member

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    Oh, I see. Good little note. Thanks! :D
     
  11. Kstaraga

    Kstaraga Active Member

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    That makes sense, too. Thanks :)
     
  12. SapereAude

    SapereAude Contributor Contributor

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    In general, I think correction of typographical errors and very minor editorial revisions are okay. I have seen books that had corrections made between the first and second printing, and the ISBN number didn't change. But the question was, "If a person pays for a copyright for their book and after submitting it to copyright, they realize that they have forgotten a few key details - are they still allowed to make that change to their story?"

    I interpreted that to mean not "editorial corrections" but adding new material. I think makes it a new edition, not an editorial revision.

    That said -- would this be a book that will be self-published, either as an e-book or by print-on-demand (or both), such that there aren't boxes and boxes of the original version already in print? The copyright registration process is two steps -- first you send in the registration and pay for it, then (in the U.S.) the Library of Congress sends you a confirmation. Once you have the confirmation, you are required to submit two copies of the "best" edition to the Library of Congress as a record of what was copyrighted.

    If you have paid for the copyright but you haven't yet submitted the two copies, and this is a print-on-demand book ... nobody has seen it yet, so if you make the changes before sending the two books to the Library of Congress, they'll never know that revisions were made. Once you send in the two record copies, it's pretty much a done deal.
     
    Last edited: Dec 9, 2021
  13. Kstaraga

    Kstaraga Active Member

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    That would make sense considering if someone spells a word wrong, it's usually easy to tell what word was intended so the word nearly stays the same, but throwing in new ideas or details to the story would make it a slightly different story.

    Saying that brings it all into a bit more perspective. I never want that to happen to me, but I guess that type of thing could happen to any writer.

    I would think self-published ebook or print-on-demand when I imagined this question.

    The sending of the books as the best edition to the Library of Congress and making revisions after copyright but before then, I see the point there where it could get iffy.

    I didn't think the "best edition" to the Library of Congress was always required?

    Good to know. Thank you :D
     
    Last edited: Dec 9, 2021
  14. SapereAude

    SapereAude Contributor Contributor

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    https://www.copyright.gov/help/faq/faq-register.html

     
  15. Kstaraga

    Kstaraga Active Member

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    I figure with the application you can upload it digitally and also send it by mail, but the turnaround time is longer to get the copyright. Uploading it digitally would definitely be easier and it makes sense you don't get those back as they are used to register the copyright.

    If they request it then that makes sense, and I guess you would need to if it was a published book and not an ebook or something...?

    This confuses me to death because it doesn't make it sound like all types of books are required to be sent on this article:
    https://www.copyright.gov/circs/circ07b.pdf

    I'm still trying to figure out what this "mandatory deposit" is...I guess I'll look through the 7d to see if that makes more sense.
     

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