Aspiring book authors often have questions about how to copyright and protect their material before it’s published. Today’s GalleyCat blog from MediaBistro.com features an interesting article on the subject, with advice from publishing attorney Lloyd J. Jassin on copyright protection for book and series titles. See the full article here: http://www.mediabistro.com/galleycat/publishing/ask_a_lawyer_should_i_copyright_my_title_164031.asp
Copyright law protects the way authors express their ideas, but Jassin points out that “titles (and short phrases) are not thought to possess enough original expression to warrant copyright protection. So, while you can copyright your novel, you can’t copyright the title of your novel” – or your non-fiction book, for that matter. However, as Jassin explains, trademark law may protect a title that is part of an ongoing series, and he describes how to use the “intent-to-use” application to protect your work.
GalleyCat promises more articles on legal questions authors commonly ask – I recommend you subscribe to GalleyCat’s always-informative blog so you’re sure to see the rest of the series.