The Copyright Handbook: How to Protect & Use Written Works (Copyright Handbook, 4th ed) [Paperback]

Stephen Fishman (Author)

Book Description

Series: Copyright Handbook, 4th ed | Publication Date: September 1997

Writers, publishers, journalists, editors, librarians and anyone who works with words needs to understand copyright law. The Copyright Handbook provides step-by-step instructions and all the forms necessary to protect all kinds of written expression under U.S. and international copyright law.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Copyright law is a complex field, and it's crucial for writers to understand what's entailed. Stephen Fishman covers what a copyright is, how it's created and protected, limitations and transfer of ownership, how long it lasts, and what copyright infringement is all about. There are chapters on copyright registration, copyright notice, and how to deal with errors or omissions. Fishman also wades into the issues of derivative works and compilations, works for hire, and jointly authored works. He also tackles the confusion of copyrights in the online world of electronic publishing; the book is worth its price for this chapter alone. The appendix contains a variety of sample forms and blank forms and a PC-formatted disk of the same material.

Review

"A thorough (and thoroughly enjoyable) discussion of the subject of copyright law as it applies to writers." -- Writer’s Market

"Explains the ins and outs of copyright law -- in plain English -- ..." -- Authorship

"For anyone who creates written works...The Copyright Handbook is as essential as a dictionary." -- Business Life

"The Copyright Handbook will be a hit with librarians, copyright researchers, and anyone who wants to protect their work." -- Cheryl LaGuardia, Editor,Library Journal

"This book contains all the usual wonderful features we have come to expect from the Nolo line..." -- Law Library Journal --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 400 pages
• Publisher: Nolo; 4th Bk&Dk edition (September 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0873374142
• ISBN-13: 978-0873374149
• Product Dimensions: 10.9 x 8.2 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.3 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (32 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,639,267 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Stephen Fishman is the author of many Nolo books, including Tax Deductions for Professionals. Other titles include Deduct It! Lower Your Small Business Taxes, Every Landlord's Tax Deduction Guide and Home Business Tax Deductions: Keep What You Earn--plus many other legal and business books. He received his law degree from the University of Southern California in 1979. After time in government and private practice, he became a full-time legal writer in 1983.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

27 of 27 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The best handbook on how to protect and use written works., August 10, 2003

By 

Harinath Thummalapalli (Austin, TX United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Copyright Handbook: How to Protect & Use Written Works with CDROM with CDROM (Paperback)

This is one of more than 30 Nolo books I have been using for the last 3 years in my small business. As usual, Nolo doesn't disappoint in this comprehensive book on copyright law and instructions on how to protect your written works.

The book comes with many tear out forms with the electronic versions of the forms on CD-ROM. Common and not so common topics are addressed. I was immediately interested in the Chapters on Copyright Basics, Copyright Notice, and Copyright Registration. These three chapters gave me the most vital information I needed to know about Copyrights. For example, I didn't know that works don't need to be registered to be protected by the Copyright Law but if registered with the Copyright office in a timely fashion, the owner gets some special benefits in the case of copyright infringement. I also understood the different treatment given to published and unpublished works.

The sections on copyrights in the online world was of even greater interest to me as I am in the process of creating some websites with online content. I had not known that I could register my online work (as long it met the same requirements for registering copyrights on normal works). The chapter on online works also has detailed information on how deep links are treated, etc.

The section on Fair Use was very helpful as it explained as clearly as possible the circumstances under which you CAN copy a copyrighted work as long as it met the Fair Use guidelines.

Even the less frequently researched topics like 'Transferring Copyright Ownership' and 'International Copyright Protection' are addressed in sufficient detail.

All in all, this is a very important book if you have any kind of work that you want to copyright or if you are considering the implications of copying somebody's work under the Fair Use guidelines. The book is by no means an easy read but Nolo does an excellent job of explaining this fairly complicated subject in plain English for the ordinary person (which seems to be the goal in all of their books). I went to the Nolo website for the latest information on the Copyright Law and wasn't disappointed there either. They have a terrific FAQ section that explains in great detail some of the latest information pertaining to the Copyright Law (especially as applicable in the online world).

I hope you are able to benefit to the same extent that I did, and good luck!

17 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Copy This!, April 1, 2007

By 

Christian Nelson (Bottom of the Lake, Minnesota) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Copyright Handbook: What Every Writer Needs to Know (Paperback)

I have to grit my teeth in anger when I think of all the wasted hours I've spent reading web site and magazine articles written by people who had no idea what they were talking about in regard to the often confusing world of copyright law.

The simple purchase and reading of Fishman's book would have saved me all that time, trouble, and confusion. He does a great job of laying out everything I've ever wanted to know about copyright law, in understandable terms...and alleviates any doubt by presenting brilliantly clear "examples" of almost every point.

If you want to learn as much as possible about copyright, without having to spend years becoming a copyright attorney, this is the book for you.

13 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars My Copy is Getting Dog-Eared, February 10, 2002

By 

"mikegoad" (Dover, Arkansas USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Copyright Handbook: How to Protect & Use Written Works (Paperback)

After doing quite a bit of research on the internet on copyright law, I purchased several copyright related books. The best of the bunch, in my mind, is "The Copyright Handbook," by Stephen Fishman, written to address copyright as it applies to written works. Published in March, 2000, the 5th edition of this book is still up to date with the copyright law of the United States.
Fishman does a good job of simplifying complicated issues. This is consistent with the goal of the publisher, Nolo, in publishing "quality law books & software for non-lawyers" that are "easy to use."
Included in the book are segments on issues and topics such as what is covered by copyright, what works are protected, duration of copyright, the Digital Millennium Copyright Act, the Sony Bono Copyright Extension Act, fair use, electronic publishing, and protecting works on the internet.
I keep my copy on a shelf just above my computer that I can readily reach when copyright questions arise.