i AM NOT AN ATTORNEY, AND i DON'T LIVE IN nORTH cAROLINA,
BUT i SEEM TO HAVE RECALLED THAT YOU CAN COPYRIGHT YOUR
POEMS IN ONE OF TWO WAYS; I.E., COPYRIGHT EACH POEM
INDIVIDUALLY OR COPYRIGHT YOUR POEMS AS ONE BOOK/
COLLECTION. iF WHAT i AM SAYING IS TRUE, AND YOU WANT TO
COPYRIGHT EACH POEM INDIVIDUALLY, YOU VERY WELL MAY HAVE
TO PAY A REGISTRATION FEE FOR EACH POEM. mAYBE THE
COPYRIGHT OFFICE WILL GIVE YOU A QUANTITY DISCOUNT.
i SUSPECT THE DISADVANTAGE OF COPYRIGHTING YOUR
POEMS AS A COLLECTION IS:
iF YOU GIVE YOUR PERMISSION FOR SOMEONE TO PUBLISH/USE
ONE POEM, YOU IN EFFECT MAY BE GIVING PERMISSION TO
PUBLISH/USE ANY POEM IN THE COLLECTION. hOWEVER,
ANY PERMISSION AGREEMENT YOU SIGN SHOULD BE ABLE
TO STATE WHICH POEMS THEY CAN PUBLISH/USE, AND WHICH
POEMS THEY CANNOT PUBLISH/USE.
sEVERAL YEARS DOWN THE ROAD, IT MAY MAKE IT MORE
DIFFICULT TO DETERMINE THE COPYRIGHT OWNER OF A
POEM WHEN IT IS PART OF A COLLECTIVE WORK, BUT
THE POEM HAS BEEN PUBLISHED/USED SEPARATELY FROM
THE COLLECTIVE WORK.
iF YOU ARE UNABLE TO GET A SATISFACTORY ANSWER FROM
AN ATTORNEY ON THIS BOARD AND/OR FROM THE COPYRIGHT
OFFICE, YOU MIGHT TRY CONTACTING ONE OR MORE BOOK
PUBLISHERS.
