Copyright protects the rights of authors and creators. Here we explain what copyright is, when it starts, and how you are protected.
Copyright basics
Copyright is a bunch of rights owned by authors and creators.
The rights give owners the power to control how their material is used or copied.
You can give permission for your material to be reused.
When copyright starts
Copyright starts as soon as you write down or record your ideas. You do not need to pay a fee, register your copyright, publish what you've written, or put a copyright notice on your material first.
When copyright ends
Generally, copyright lasts the author's lifetime, plus 70 years. This is the case in the US, Australian and Europe. In Canada, it is the author's lifetime plus 50 years.
Showing copyright exists
We confirm your copyright in a few ways:
Your ISBN
We tag you as the copyright owner when we assign your ISBNs to your book.Your book metadata
We state your name and copyright year in the information that is sent to all stores.Inside your book
If you publish in print, we add a page at the front of you book naming you as the copyright owner.
Copyright notice
Tablo includes a notice of copyright inside your book, on the reverse of the title page. It shows the symbol ©, your name, and the publication year.
Example:
Copyright © Author Name 2021.
Published in 2021 by Tablo Publishing.
All rights reserved.
This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the author except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.
The last sentence explains what use of your material is acceptable, and what isn't.
Re-use
You can let someone use your material by licensing it, or giving permission.
Licenses
A copyright license is an agreement to let another person or company use your material. The license describes such things as the conditions for use, and how the owner will be compensated.
Licenses can be exclusive or non-exclusive. When you publish with Tablo, you agree to grant Tablo a non-exclusive license. Non-exclusive means you can license the same rights again, leaving you free to republish your book at any time.
Permissions
Copyright owners can give permission for their material to be reused. If you want to publish material that is not your own, you must get the copyright owner's permission beforehand.
Copyright questions
Do I need to apply for copyright before I begin writing?
No, copyright is automatically applied once you write your ideas down.
Should I register my copyright with my local intellectual property agency?
You can. But it isn't necessary. If you do register your copyright, you'll be given a legal proof of ownership. Such proof can help if you ever need to settle a dispute.