Copyrights.—A copyright is the sole right granted by law to authors and artists to publish and dispose of their works for a term of 28 years when it may be renewed for 14 years more making 42 years in all.
A copyright may be had on written articles, books, lectures or other oral addresses, on dramatic and musical compositions, photographs, paintings, drawings, sculpture, plastic work, moving picture photo-plays, moving pictures other than photo-plays, maps, prints and pictorial illustrations.
A copyright cannot be had on trade marks, the names of companies, newspapers, manufactured articles or on prints or labels which are to be used for any kind of manufactured articles. Trade marks and patents are granted for the above classes of work.
The general procedure for obtaining a copyright on the first named subjects is the same but the application forms issued by the Copyright Office differ a little from each other in wording and you should have the right one.
When you are ready to file an application for a copyright in the United States send to the Register of Copyrights, Copyright Office, Washington, D. C., for a copy of Steps Necessary to Secure Copyright Registration and also a copy of Explanatory Circular No. 12, entitled Application Forms, for which no charge is made. A reading of these leaflets will tell you exactly how to obtain a copyright and also the application form to use.
When you have found from these the application form you need send again to the Register of Copyrights for one or more of the application forms, fill it in and send it and $1 by money order or bank-draft made payable to the Register of Copyrights, together with a 10 cent revenue stamp—for these are war times—and you will receive in turn a certificate of copyright.
By copyrighting the thing yourself you will save just $9 for this is the amount a patent attorney will charge you for filing it, and if this isn’t driving screws with a hammer I’d like to know what it is.
The following is an application form for copyrighting a book:—
Fig. 128a. APPLICATION FOR COPYRIGHT OF A BOOK