Copyright Question

[MoonStar]

Hi as some of you see i posted a beta version of my visual novel up for testing.

My questions regarding copyrights are as follows

How do i apply and obtain a "international" copyright my game? (from what google said its somewhere on a .gov site)

How much does that cost? (google said its 45$)

How much time will it take?

Does the copyright cover all the items in the game? or do i have to copyright the story; art; music and code(game)individually?

Does the copyright apply on a single person or does it only apply to companies? (from what i know the trademark only applies to companies right?)

so those are my questions if you can pls answer them thank you

[Holland]

Quick note, remember that you generally need to publish the full version before you copyright it. Preregistration can be done for unpublished or partially released works, but it's expensive ($140 - ouch), and you need to register it again after it's published anyway if you do that.

"Does the copyright cover all the items in the game?"

Assuming you register it correctly, yes, it does.

"Does the copyright apply on a single person or does it only apply to companies?"

It generally applies to a single person, but multiple people can claim ownership to it, and I believe you can copyright to a trademarked name. Not positive there.

To the above two questions:
Do you own everything in your game? (music, art, writing, etc.) If you do not legally own everything included, then you need to get permission from all the creators to copyright the game with the work together. There are a lot of gray areas here if you're trying to do multiple ownership, and filing it online can be a bit tricky, so you're best off contacting them for support on this one. However, some information on it is available here.

If you do own everything, then you just need to register a regular claim. If there are parts of the work that are already copyrighted (such as royalty free music tracks), then remember to exclude their files when you go to upload the physical contents.

"How do i apply and obtain a "international" copyright my game?"

There is no such thing as an 'international' copyright. Every country has different rules. To see how your copyright will be treated in different countries, read this.

I'll put the directions for how to apply for a copyright at the bottom of this post.

"How much time will it take?"

Filing online takes 3 to 5 months for them to recognize / complete it. Filing offline takes 7 to 10 months.

"How much does that cost?"

Online registration is $55 for a standard application, which is what you'd need to use.
Offline registration is $85.

(from what i know the trademark only applies to companies right?)

Not at all. An individual can apply for as many trademarks as they like and use it for whatever they need it for.
You probably know this already, but a quick note: trademarks are not given with copyrights. You have to register them separately.

so those are my questions if you can pls answer them thank you

Here's how to apply for a general copyright:

Go to "copyright.gov" and click on the blue box that says "Register a Copyright". Once there, click "Log in to eCO". Then click "If you are a new user, go here to register."
On that form, use your real, legal information. The password needs to be at least 8 characters long, have 2 capital letters, contain 1 number, and have 1 symbol.
After you finish registering, on the page you're redirected to, look at the area under what says "Copyright Registration" on the left side.
Then go ahead and click "Register a New Claim". [See this for help.]
On that screen, check Yes/No to the options listed. Options:
---"I am registering one work (one song, one poem, one photograph, etc.)" Check NO. A game contains many aspects that can't count as one work.
---"The work being registered was created by one person." If you created everything in your game on your own, check YES. If others created assets, check NO.
---"Copyright in the work is solely owned by the person who created it." If ownership of assets are kept by who created it, check YES. If you retain all copyrights, check NO.
Click "Start Registration."

At that point, you basically just need to follow the steps provided. Click the links on the right to fill in the slots on the left and click "Continue" after each one. The Type of Work can't be changed, so you'll have to start a new form if you screw that one up. The rest should be editable.

When you've submitted your eCO forms at the end of that process, you'll be prompted to pay the filing cost. After you pay them, you'll be given the option to upload all the copyright-able material. I believe you can upload it as a zip, but be sure to take out all the files you don't hold the rights to before sending it in.

Good luck :3

[MoonStar]

ty for the answer so i need to file only one register for the whole game not individual for music art game story right?

story and game(source code are written by me) art and music are commissioned and payed for there names appear in the credits of my thread and the game also that means i own it if i paid for it and have the creator approval right?
there for i should need to register only once right?

by "international" copyright i meant i dont have to register for every country in the world and pay for each right?

[Holland]

ty for the answer so i need to file only one register for the whole game not individual for music art game story right?

Yep, just register once for the whole game using the steps above.

story and game(source code are written by me) art and music are commissioned and payed for there names appear in the credits of my thread and the game also that means i own it if i paid for it and have the creator approval right?

If the contract for your commissions stated that the commissioner (you) would get all the rights to their works, then you don't have to worry about it.
If you didn't have a contract or any written agreement where you were given 100% ownership over the works, then you should contact them about it.

If there's anything you're not sure about with this (I'm no expert), try talking to the Copyright Office with the contact form found here.

i should need to register only once right?

Yep. Register it once. The copyright will last the duration of your life + 70 years. It's a one time thing for most people.

by "international" copyright i meant i dont have to register for every country in the world and pay for each right?

Nope, you're good. Copyrighting is a one time thing that applies to any country which legally recognizes copyrights. There are ways you can register ideas in countries that otherwise wouldn't recognize it, but it's generally unnecessary.

[MoonStar]

ok ty very much for the answers il wait after i finish the 2nd part then il do the pre-register if i still have money

[Holland]

ok ty very much for the answers il wait after i finish the 2nd part then il do the pre-register if i still have money :)

No problem :3 Good luck with everything~