As a writer or book author, you may have been told that registering for International Standard Book Number (ISBN) protects your book or article from copyright infringement, or maybe you made that assumption.
Regardless of how you came about such information, you need to know that while this may be true in a sense because once you write a book, you have copyright protection, this kind of protection is limited. Without registration or filing for copyright protection with the stipulated body, you cannot enjoy the full benefits copyright law offers.
A copyright is legal protection of original artistic, literary, dramatic or musical work, including books and articles. However, it must be in tangible form for it to be protected; that is, it can be read, seen or heard.
Whereas, International Standard Book Number (ISBN) is a 13-digit number issued by the National Library of any country to uniquely identify books published in that country. An ISBN is not legally required for copyright infringement, but bookstores and online booksellers require it for cataloguing.
Why should you Copyright your book?
- It is crucial to do so because it protects your work and prevents others from reproducing it without permission or proper accreditation.
- It allows you to file a copyright infringement lawsuit, which you cannot do without registration.
- A copyright registration certificate will serve as legal evidence to validate your claims in the event of an infringement lawsuit.
- It allows you to be entitled to other financial benefits in a copyright infringement lawsuit.
In summary, it protects your rights as the author of the book and gives you legal grounds to claim compensation when these rights have been violated.
Copyright Registration
To copyright your book, you need to submit the following to the statutory body in your country. In Nigeria, you need to submit the following to the National Copyright Commission (NCC):
- A completed registration form. You can submit online @https://www.eregistration.copyright.gov.ng/ or at their office.
- Two copies of your book.
- Evidence of payment of the prescribed fee.
Lastly, at Everbrighter Communications, we copyright every book we publish and can assist you with yours, as well as any other materials you may wish to copyright in Nigeria.
BY NGOZI ADIGHIBE
