How long does it take for a book to get copyrighted?

Answer 1

Copyright protection is automatic and instantaneous, as soon as work of sufficient originality is "fixed in a tangible medium, perceptible to human eye, machine reader or other device". It isn't necessary to take any action to copyright a book, movie, song, etc.

If you decide that you want or need the additional protection that a formally registered copyright will provide, contact the copyright office in your country for the proper procedure and fee amounts.

Answer 2

It varies from country to country. The minimum for WTO countries is the life of the creator plus 50 years, although the US and some others have extended this to life plus 70 years. A corporate work in the US would be protected for 95 years from publication.

Under US copyright law, the answer will also depend upon when the work was first published, among other things. For example, sound recordings published prior to 1972 have no federal copyright at all, but are covered by state copyright laws "forever", i.e., until pre-empted by federal law in 2067.

The rule for "70 years after author's death" would not apply in the USA to any work published in the USA prior to 1978. Those earlier works are either no longer copyrighted or last for 95 years from publication, depending upon whether their copyright was properly renewed at 28 years, if published before 1964.

Answer 3

New works are protected for the life of the author plus 50 years in most countries; the US and a few others have extended this to 70 years.

Answer 4

Under current US law works published on or after 1978 are protected for the life of the author plus 70 years.

Answer 5

Works of sufficient originality are automatically protected by copyright as soon as they are fixed in a tangible medium.