Book & eBook Writing Copyright & Legal for Authors

Question 1

When does copyright protection begin for a written work in the United States?

Accepted Answer

At the moment the work is created and fixed in a tangible medium

Answer

Only after the author registers with the US Copyright Office

Answer

When the book is published and an ISBN is assigned

Answer

When the author signs a publishing contract

Question 2

How long does copyright protection last for a work created by an individual author in the US today?

Accepted Answer

The author's lifetime plus 70 years

Answer

50 years from the date of publication

Answer

The author's lifetime only

Answer

100 years from the date of creation

Question 3

What does 'fair use' allow in US copyright law?

Accepted Answer

Limited use of copyrighted material without permission for purposes like commentary, criticism, education, or parody

Answer

Using any work freely after paying a flat licensing fee

Answer

Reproducing an entire book if you credit the author in full

Answer

Using copyrighted material freely in nonprofit publications

Question 4

What is the public domain in terms of copyright?

Accepted Answer

Works whose copyright has expired or was never held, allowing free use by anyone

Answer

Works published without a copyright notice before 1978

Answer

Any work published by a government agency in the US

Answer

Books that have been out of print for more than ten years

Question 5

What is a 'cease and desist' letter in publishing?

Accepted Answer

A legal notice demanding that a party stop an activity that allegedly infringes on intellectual property rights

Answer

A notice from a retailer removing a book from sale

Answer

A publisher's request to revise a manuscript before a deadline

Answer

A library system's request to cease lending a digital title

Question 6

What does 'work for hire' mean in the context of authorship?

Accepted Answer

The employer or commissioning party, not the creator, holds the copyright

Answer

A freelance editor paid per hour on a manuscript

Answer

A ghostwriter who is credited as a co-author

Answer

An author hired by a publisher to write a specific genre book