The Copyright Handbook: How to Protect & Use Written Works (Copyright Handbook, 5th ed) (Paperback)

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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. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Review

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

Explains copyright law in plain English and provides all the forms and step-by-step instructions to register a copyright... -- Authorship

For anyone who creates written works...The Copyright Handbook is as essential as a dictionary. -- Business Life) Business Life --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 400 pages
• Publisher: Nolo.com; 5th edition (March 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0873375483
• ISBN-13: 978-0873375481
• Product Dimensions: 10.7 x 8.5 x 1.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,693,197 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

17 of 17 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 (Copyright Handbook, 6th ed) (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!

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars My Copy is Getting Dog-Eared, February 11, 2002

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

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.

14 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Simple, Understandable., July 16, 2000

By	Kharmic Tide Pool (Chicago, IL) - See all my reviews

Fishman has taken the very complicated world that is copywrite law and simplified it in this text. The book itself is easy to read, well organized, and gives practical, interesting, and topical examples to highlight the explanations of the caveats of the law. For each example Fishman has sighted one to two, sometimes more, cases for reference. The cases range from 1934 (was the oldest I saw) to 1996, but examples of real-life situations are given of events more recent than 1996. Overall, this will help anyone who needs to learn about copywriting (specifically) the written word understand that better. This book is great for authors of all kinds, lyricists, scientists, etc.. who want to know if their material is copywriteable or not. The best part is that not everyone will have to read every chapter to find out the information that applies to them. The discussions on public domain are wonderful, and some of the highlights of the book.