In today’s digital age, books are not only intellectual property but also an important tool to affirm the author’s personal value and brand. For the author, each book or publication is a brainchild, and is cared for with all their heart. Therefore, the law has established regulations to protect copyright, to ensure the rights of creators and promote creative activities in society. So what should be noted when registering copyright for books? The following article from VCD will help you.
1. What is book copyright registration?
Books are one of the objects protected by copyright. To create a book, the author has invested a lot of effort, intelligence and creativity, bringing valuable knowledge and information. Therefore, the laws of many countries have issued regulations to protect copyright (or author’s rights) to honor and protect creative achievements, thereby promoting creative activities, especially in the field of publishing.
Current laws do not have specific provisions explaining “What is copyright?”, however, copyright can be understood as the legal rights of the author or owner of his or her work, including the right to use, copy, distribute and display the work. Copyright protects works such as books, music, movies, software and art. It prohibits others from using the work without the owner’s permission. Copyright usually has a certain term, after which the work will become public property.
Therefore, registering a book copyright is when the owner or author of the book directly or authorizes a representative organization to submit an application for book registration to the Copyright Office to record the ownership of the book in Vietnam. When there is any act of intellectual property infringement of books such as impersonation, copying, unauthorized use, etc., the owner will have the right to request the law enforcement agency to take administrative, civil, and criminal measures to handle the act of copyright infringement of the book.
2. Is book copyright registration a mandatory procedure?
According to the provisions of the Law on Intellectual Property, copyright will arise as soon as the work is created and expressed in a certain material form. This does not depend on the content, quality, form, means, language, or whether the work has been published or registered.
Therefore, immediately after completing the work, copyright will automatically arise, even if the copyright has not been registered. However, registration plays an important role in determining ownership when there is a dispute.
Registering a book copyright is not a mandatory procedure but a necessary procedure and is also a way for creators to protect their works from unauthorized use. Copyright registration demonstrates legal ownership of the work, because creating a written work requires intellectual, time and financial investment.
To protect the legitimate rights and interests of both the author and the owner of the work, especially in the event of a dispute, organizations and individuals should carry out the procedure of registering copyright and related rights. This not only helps to establish ownership but also creates a solid legal basis when it is necessary to resolve conflicts.
3. Notes when registering copyright for books
There are a few things to note to save time on registration and make it easier to obtain a Certificate of Copyright Registration:
- Before registering for copyright, prepare all the necessary information and documents for registration.
- Carefully check whether the work you want to register is protected by copyright or not.
- Refer to the copyright-related regulations in the Vietnamese Intellectual Property Law to ensure that the registration process is carried out in accordance with regulations and protects the rights of authors and owners.
- Always update and monitor information on book copyright registration files to promptly supplement and correct.
- In particular, if the book is a work with content related to medicine, education and other specialized and specific fields, it is necessary to have documents, papers confirming, appraising and approving by the competent authority.
Within 15 working days from the date of receiving a valid application, the Copyright Office is responsible for issuing a Certificate of Copyright Registration to the applicant. If the Office refuses to issue a Certificate, they must notify in writing and state the reason to the applicant. Note that the actual time to complete copyright registration is currently usually 51 working days from the date of application submission.
Above is the article “Notes when registering copyright for books” that VCD sends to you. We hope this article is useful to you.
Sincerely,
