I'm thinking about obtaining a copyright for some curriculum I have put together, where do I start, what are the fees involved?
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Mexy Can
ANSWERS: 5
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Copyright does not need to be registered. Copyright exists the instant an idea is given a unique expression - note that ideas are not subject to copyright, the expression of those ideas is. So two people can have the same idea, express it in different ways and as such cannot sue each other for breach of copyright. There are registration schemes in some countries, however, that serve as proof that copyright exists in a piece of work from a certain point in time. There is no need to register to obtain copyright protection, but registering does provide a greater level of proof should you need to take legal action. You do not need to do anything to provide protection to your works, but it is common practice to acknowledge that you have rights in a work by placing a copyright statement on it. Be careful, though, because if you create works as part of your employment, then copyright may be held by your employer and not you.
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This link should help. http://www.copyright.gov/
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If you created the curriculm as part of your job, use caution. Absent some other agreement, your employer owns the rights.
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Other responders are all correct to this point but I DO suggest registering your copyright on the curiculum (provided you did not create the curiculum as part of a full time job). The registration gives you the right to sue for copyright infringement and it gives you greater rights to also sue for attorney's fees if a lawsuit is filled.
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Go to https://www.copyright.gov/ and do it on line, it's around $35. FYI: you are not obtaining a copyright, you are registering your copyright. You have copyright rights whether you register it or not but registration provides significant proof to how early the work was created (helpful in a case where another party claims to be the author). Any copyright infringement law suit requires that you register the copyright (even if that is well after the work was published) and registration may entitle you to include attorney and court fees in your claim in an infringement law suit..
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