How to do book copyright registration? [Latest update]

Book copyright registration is an important step to protect the author’s intellectual property rights. This procedure helps authors assert copyright over their works. Book copyright registration also creates favorable conditions for commercial exploitation of works. This article will guide customers on how to do book copyright registration in Vietnam according to the latest regulations.

Subjects protected by book copyright

The Law on Intellectual Property in Vietnam clearly stipulates the subjects that are protected by copyright. Books, including novels, short stories, poems, textbooks, and other types of books, are covered by protection. Book copyright includes copyright in the text, illustrations, cover design, and layout.

Specifically, copyright for books includes moral rights and property rights:

1. Moral rights include the rights to:

• Name the work, transfer the right to use the right to name the work to the organization or individual receiving the transfer of property rights;
• Put your real name or pseudonym on the work; be given your real name or pseudonym when the work is published or used;
• Publish the work or allow others to publish the work;
• Protect the integrity of the work to prevent others from distorting it; Do not allow others to modify or mutilate the work in any form that harms the author’s honor and reputation.

2. Property rights include the rights to:

• Making derivative works;
• Performing the work to the public directly or indirectly through audio or video recordings or any technical means at a location accessible to the public but the public cannot freely choose the time and parts of the work;
• Directly or indirectly copy all or part of the work by any means or form, unless otherwise permitted;
• Distributing, importing for distribution to the public through sale or other form of transfer of ownership of originals or copies of works in tangible form, except for the case specified in Point b, Clause 3 of this Article;
• Broadcasting and communicating to the public works by wire, wireless, electronic information networks or any other technical means, including providing works to the public in a way that the public can access at a place and time of their choosing;
• Renting originals or copies of cinematographic works and computer programs, unless such computer program is not the main object of the rental.

The work must be creative and expressed in a certain material form. Derivative works such as translations, summaries, or adaptations of books are also protected. However, ideas, concepts, or processes are not protected by book copyright.

Book copyright registration is an effective way to protect the rights of authors. When a dispute occurs, the Copyright Registration Certificate is important legal evidence.

Clearly identifying the subject of book copyright protection helps customers clearly understand their rights. This also helps avoid unnecessary copyright violations.

Procedures for registering book copyright

Book copyright registration in Vietnam must comply with specific procedures prescribed by law, specifically as follows:

Prepare documents

Pursuant to Article 50 of the Law on Intellectual Property 2005, amended in 2022, the copyright registration dossier for books includes:

1. Copyright registration declaration and related rights registration;
2. Two copies of the copyright-registered work or two copies of the fixation of the relevant copyright-registered object;
3. Power of attorney, if the person submitting the application for copyright registration or related rights registration is the authorized person;
4. Documents proving that the owner of the rights is self-created or assigned creative tasks, enters into creative contracts, inherits, or transfers rights;
5. Written consent of co-authors, if the work has co-authors;
6. Written consent of the co-owners, if copyright and related rights are jointly owned.

Note:

• The declaration must be made in Vietnamese with full information about the applicant, author, copyright owner or related rights owner; completion time; summary of the content of the work, performance, audio recording, video recording or broadcast; name of author, copyright owner, work used as a derivative work if the work is registered as a derivative work; time, place, and form of announcement; Information on re-issuance and replacement (if any), commitment to responsibility for the information stated in the declaration. The declaration is signed or fingerprinted by the author, copyright owner, or related rights owner, unless physically incapable of signing or fingerprinting.
• Documents No. 3, 4, 5, 6 must be made in Vietnamese; If made in another language, it must be translated into Vietnamese.

Customers need to prepare documents according to regulations to avoid rejection.

Steps to register book copyright

According to the provisions of Articles 51 to 54 of the Law on Intellectual Property 2005 and guiding documents, book copyright registration procedures include the following steps:

Step 1: The author prepares documents and submits them to the Copyright Office. Authors can submit in person or by mail.

Step 2: Review documents

The Copyright Office will review the validity of the application. Processing time is usually 15 working days.

Step 3: Receive Certificate: If the application is valid, the Copyright Office is responsible for issuing the Copyright Registration Certificate and Related Rights Registration Certificate to the applicant. In case of refusal to issue a Copyright Registration Certificate or Related Rights Registration Certificate, the state management agency in charge of copyright and related rights must notify in writing and clearly state the reason to the applicant.

Book copyright protection period

The term of copyright protection for books is specifically regulated in the Law on Intellectual Property. The term of protection is throughout the author’s life and 50 years after the author’s death. For jointly authored works, the term is calculated from the death of the last co-author.

After the term of protection expires, the work will be in the public domain. Anyone can use the work without permission.

The copyright protection period for books is calculated to ensure the rights of authors and encourage creativity.

Customers need to pay attention to the protection period to have an effective plan to exploit the work.

Frequently asked questions about book copyright registration

Below are frequently asked questions that we have compiled, please refer to:

What do the moral rights of a book author include?

Moral rights include the right to name the work, title the work, publish the work and protect the integrity of the work.

What are the property rights of a book author?

Property rights include the rights to make derivative works, perform, reproduce, distribute, broadcast and rent the works.

How is the copyright protection period for books calculated?

The term of protection is throughout the author’s life and 50 years after the author’s death.

After the protection period expires, what will the work look like?

The work will be in the public domain and anyone can use it without permission.

Is it possible to register book copyright online?

Yes, customers can submit applications online through the Electronic Information Portal of the Copyright Office.

How are book copyright registration costs determined?

Book copyright registration fees are regulated according to Circulars of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism.

In case a work has co-authors, how is the term of protection calculated?

For jointly authored works, the term is calculated from the death of the last co-author.

What should you do if you are refused a copyright certificate?

In case of refusal to issue a Certificate, the state management agency in charge of copyright must notify in writing and clearly state the reason.

Full book copyright registration service at Long Phan Consulting Company

Long Phan Consulting Company provides comprehensive, professional and reputable book copyright registration services. Our team of experienced professionals will support customers from A to Z. Services include consulting, document drafting, application submission and results tracking. Specifically:

• Guidance on the process, conditions and procedures for registering book copyright.
• Prepare documents: Draft and complete the copyright registration application according to the provisions of law.
• Submit application and track progress: Customer representative works with the Copyright Office.
• Receive and hand over Certificates: Ensure customers receive valid results.
• Support for dispute resolution: Protect rights when there is copyright infringement.

With Long Phan’s comprehensive book copyright registration service, customers will save time and effort. We are committed to providing high quality services at reasonable costs.

Conclude

Registering book copyright is an important step to protect copyright and exploit the value of the work. Please proactively register your book’s copyright to avoid risks. For advice and support on book copyright registration, please contact Long Phan Consulting Company via the hotline 0906735386.