How To Obtain A Registered Copyright?

TommyK

Hello:

I hope this is the right place to post this . . .

I have two small publications that I need to obtain a formal copyright for.

I've just been to the Irish Patents Office website and, while they give some details about what copyright is and why it is used, it doesn't say anything about how and what to do to obtain one.

Does anybody know how the process works . . . how much does it cost . . . where to apply . . . etc.?

Thank you for any help you can give.

Best regards,
Tommy.

Specky

You automatically own the copyright to everything you create the moment you create it. It costs nothing to copyright material.

However, if you want to prove that you own the copyright you must prove that you produced the original work before anyone else did.

You can do this in a number of ways but basically you just need to lodge a copy of the document with someone who can provide you with a validateable, dated receiptm, and who can verify that the document has not been altered in any way since that date.

As far as I am aware you can get this service from a solicitor but you'd have to ask them what they would charge for safe storage of your document. Bank safety deposit box is just as good (although I heard a little while ago that banks don't do these anymore...you'd have to ask them).

I'm sure if you went to a patents lawyer they would also provide you with the service and I'm also sure they'd be quite happy to take a large sum of money from you for the pleasure.

Pataman

I know somebody who was told to post it to themselves registered post as proof of when they wrote it. Its not April the first, is it?

Specky

I know somebody who was told to post it to themselves registered post as proof of when they wrote it. Its not April the first, is it?

No, that's the old "songwriters technique" for copyrighting. It is still just as valid as it ever was but it has always had certain practical pitfalls like the problem that the unopened mail is too much of a temptation to open....or your mum/wife/little brother opens it thinking you've been buying porn or something....

It also requires forensic analysis to prove that it has not been tampered with since it was posted.

If you're dealing with something that is worth a lot of money or that you're really paranoid about then it's better to use a secure third party.

Borzoi

You are also legally required to furnish TCD Library witha copy of your publication as they are the Irish copyright library and entitled to a copy of everything publihed here.

I doubt this is enough to establish copyright date, as they might take a while to catalogue your writings.

So the post it to yourself method is probably the chepest way of being reasonably soundly proving the date.