As I design my first new book of the new year, perhaps I could subtitle this post "Happy New Copyright Year".

Luckily, copyright law has has changed over time. While I don't profess to be a lawyer, I am a publisher. I have had lawyers defer to my working understanding of copyright law. Truth in advertising... they were homicide trial lawyers.

Whenever I meet with a publishing client, the issue of copyright rears its head. "How do I copyright my book?" "Must I fill out and file a form?" "Should I protect my work?" The answers to these questions depend on the type of protection you wish for your work.