After you have finished writing your book, you need to consider copyrighting your work. You don't want your creation to be stolen and published by some other person without you getting any credits. Generally, copyright is "the right to copy". Meaning to say, you hold the right to grant permission to anybody who wishes to copy your work, but you should be given credit as the original creator. They can turn it into a movie or a stage play as long as they acknowledge that it is your work. Do you want to know how copyrights work and have peace of mind about your work?

First, you need to make sure you have the right to own the complete copyright of what you have just written. Sounds confusing? Let's say for example, you have written your book while you are working for a company and the materials are written for the company. The company - your employer - is the one that gets the credit for it. If this is not the case, then the full credit will be yours.

Now, the fact is simply that all copyright protection is automatic! The moment you have dotted that full stop sign, you are automatically in the 'safe' zone (Australia 1968, US 1989). Published or not, your work is already protected under the law.

You may be asking, "Why should I get my work copyrighted when it is automatically protected?" The difference is, if you get an official copyright, you will get added protection by having an official record of 'when' your copyright came into being. The good thing about this is that if somebody tries to copy your book, you will have official records as evidence on your side.

There are plenty of companies who can help you log an official copyright content. Also, depending on where you live, you can approach organizations that will legally and bindingly copyright your book. In the United States, the United States Copyright Office protects your work. The Office exists to promote creativity by administering and maintaining a copyrighting system in the United States as part of the Library of Congress. Outside the United States, most countries are overseen by international conventions such as the Berne Convention, which performs a similar service as the US Copyright Office - on an international scale.

Did you know that mailing your manuscript to yourself is one way of copyrighting it? Yes, just seal your manuscript in an envelope and mail it to your own address. The postmark will be the proof of the date you sealed and sent it. Make sure you place the sealed envelope in a safe place, unopened. If you have a safe in your house, it's much better to keep it there. This process is commonly known as a "poor man's copyright". Depositing a copy of your book with a bank or an attorney is another type of "poor man's copyright". Anyone can do these but the downside is that these methods do not totally safeguard your copyright. There is just no substitute for a government-recognized copyright.

Another simple but less reliable way to copyright your book is to configure the document in your computer to display a copyright on each page, with your name and the date. It may not hold up in court, but it will act as a deterrent to intellectual property thieves, who will believe you have the law behind you. Self Publishing [http://www.bookpal.com.au/Home/selfpublishing/tabid/1196/Default.aspx] your book gives you an extra layer of copyright protection in the event you need to prove a book is your work.

Copyrighting your material is a necessary process to ensure your ideas remain your own. You can use the © sign, even if you don't have the official copyright logged. The sign simply represents that your work is copyrighted. The format is usually the copyright symbol, followed by the year written and then the author's name. Just remember to be wise and complete in your efforts to protect your work.

Please note: This information is for general reference purposes only; it is not in any way meant as legal advice.