Are pen names copyrighted?

Length of Copyright Ownership If you use a pen name on your work, it is protected by copyright for 95 years from the date of publication or 120 years from its creation, whichever is longer. If you make your legal name public when you register the copyright, then you own the copyright for your lifetime plus 70 years.

Do you need to trademark your pen name?

2: Pen names cannot be trademark protected. The author must prove that the name has “secondary meaning” by being part of a unique brand that is used in marketing and commerce, and is widely recognized. Like J.K.Rowling which is a trademark owned by Joanne Rowling.

How do I protect my pen name?

Register your copyright. You may register the copyright of your work under your pseudonym, your real name, or both. There are downsides to registering the copyright under a pseudonym only. First, it may be difficult to prove ownership of the work at a later date.

How do you come up with an author name?

How to create your author pen name? Try to start from your real name and make little changes. Maybe use your middle name, or initials, or a name that’s almost the same but a little cooler. Use a friend’s name that you’ve always envied.

How do authors with pen names get paid?

The pen name is set up through an agent and/or attorney. All of the contracts are written under the pen name, checks are issued to the pen name, and authors using pen names often don’t make public appearances of any kind. This means that even the publisher and editor don’t know who the author reall…

Can you keep a pen name secret?

Using a pen name, or nom de plume, can provide you with the freedom of anonymity if you have concerns about people knowing that you have written a particular book. Whether it is as simple as you not wanting your strait-laced colleagues at the law firm know that you secretly write bodice-ripping romance novels.

How do I copyright a pen name?

The next step for copyrighting your work, and therefore your pen name, is filing your registration with the Copyright Office. You can either submit it using the online electronic Copyright Office, you can download a fill-in Form CO and submit it, or you can go to the Copyright Office and submit a paper registration.

What is a pen name and should you use one?

A pen name, or nom de plume, is a pseudonym (fake name) used by authors who don’t wish to publish work under their own name. Authors use pen names for many reasons, whether it be for branding purposes or just for privacy. Regardless of why one chooses to use a pseudonym, creating a pen name can play an important part in your book’s marketing.

How do I find out who owns a copyright on something?

For a TV Show or book, that’s not usually a problem. But for photographs, dances, and other things, it may be hard to find. You can also search by the company name, but that’s not always as simple as it sounds, either. The copyright owner may have changed over the years, either by changing their name or assigning the copyright.

Why do women authors write under pen names?

Women authors used to write under male names, some authors didn’t want to be known as authors, and some wanted to write outside of their established genre. The same reasons for using a pen name exist today and, no matter what your reason for choosing to write under a pen name is, it is important to know how to copyright a pen name.