Removing stories plus copyright

[CharleyH]

I am contemplating removing many of my Lit stories to sell and/or make better to post elsewhere. Yet, they have been on Lit for so long that I worry they may have been picked up by someone - somewhere - and Lit is my only proof of publishing. What do you do when you have a Lit story you want to publish, yet its been online for years? How do you deal with copywrite?

 

[Carmenica Diaz]

Copyright has a universal protection but you could try saving the pages as displayed as a protection against future cases. An alternative is to self-publish them with an ISBN.

Or, it's easier not to worry about it all too much.

 

[TheEarl]

I am contemplating removing many of my Lit stories to sell and/or make better to post elsewhere. Yet, they have been on Lit for so long that I worry they may have been picked up by someone - somewhere - and Lit is my only proof of publishing. What do you do when you have a Lit story you want to publish, yet its been online for years? How do you deal with copywrite?

You could ask Laurel to act as witness to your intellectual copyright?

The Earl

 

[CopyCarver]

I am contemplating removing many of my Lit stories to sell and/or make better to post elsewhere. Yet, they have been on Lit for so long that I worry they may have been picked up by someone - somewhere - and Lit is my only proof of publishing. What do you do when you have a Lit story you want to publish, yet its been online for years? How do you deal with copywrite?

Both of the suggestions you've received thus far are excellent ones. If you want almost bulletproof protection (which I personally do, for anything that is commercially published) you can formally register copyright at the U.S. Copyright Office. The procedure is simpler, quicker, and cheaper than one would expect from "the gummint," and you can protect a group of short works with a single form and for a single fee. If you'd like more info, http://www.copyright.gov/

 

[Colleen Thomas]

I am contemplating removing many of my Lit stories to sell and/or make better to post elsewhere. Yet, they have been on Lit for so long that I worry they may have been picked up by someone - somewhere - and Lit is my only proof of publishing. What do you do when you have a Lit story you want to publish, yet its been online for years? How do you deal with copywrite?

Select the ones you wish to remove & sell, then print them off, fill out the forms and copyright them. When your TX form comes back, you are holding the copyright.

Alternately, you could ask laurel if she would be willing to give you a verification that the story was published at lit on such and such a date.

 

[CharleyH]

Both of the suggestions you've received thus far are excellent ones. If you want almost bulletproof protection (which I personally do, for anything that is commercially published) you can formally register copyright at the U.S. Copyright Office. The procedure is simpler, quicker, and cheaper than one would expect from "the gummint," and you can protect a group of short works with a single form and for a single fee. If you'd like more info, http://www.copyright.gov/

Thank you all. I have done the poor mans copywrite for years and thank you all, again, but I do not write in the US and the registrar and copy is jurisdictional, so US intellectual property does not apply to anything outside borders - you should all know this as I.P. never applies to anything international. I will ask Laurel, though. I had not thought of that.

Thank you, it's a great idea.