Book copyright dates

[attroll]

What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? Maine

I have a question about publishing and copyrights dates.
I published a book last year. The book is a guidebook for hiking a specific trail.
Each year the guidebook gets republished as a new book because there are many changes to the hiking trail that are different from the year before.
I will be publishing the book again this year.
Last year on the inside I put the following statement.
“Copyright 2017 My Name. All rights reserved.”
When I reprint the book again this year, what date do I use? Do I keep the same date of 2017 or should it be 2018?

 

[PayrollHRGuy]

If it is essentially a new book each year.

But you use the date the new edition is published be it 2017 or '18.

 

[quincy]

What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? Maine

I have a question about publishing and copyrights dates.
I published a book last year. The book is a guidebook for hiking a specific trail.
Each year the guidebook gets republished as a new book because there are many changes to the hiking trail that are different from the year before.
I will be publishing the book again this year.
Last year on the inside I put the following statement.
“Copyright 2017 My Name. All rights reserved.”
When I reprint the book again this year, what date do I use? Do I keep the same date of 2017 or should it be 2018?

All copyright dates should be listed. I disagree with the prior response.

 

[PayrollHRGuy]

https://www.loc.gov/publish/cip/techinfo/reprinteditions.html

 

[attroll]

All copyright dates should be listed. I disagree with the prior response.

What do you mean by this?
Do you mean it should look like this below?

"Copyright © 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020 Joe Blow . All rights reserved."

 

[quincy]

https://www.loc.gov/publish/cip/techinfo/reprinteditions.html

Did you read it?

When there are changes to a previous edition, there is a new copyright created and a new copyright date.

 

[quincy]

What do you mean by this?
Do you mean it should look like this below?

"Copyright © 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020 Joe Blow . All rights reserved."

Yes. That is how the copyrights should be noted.

Here is a live version of the previous link provided: https://www.loc.gov/publish/cip/techinfo/reprinteditions.html

 

[LdiJ]

Yes. That is how the copyrights should be noted.

Here is a live version of the previous link provided: https://www.loc.gov/publish/cip/techinfo/reprinteditions.html

It can also be listed as Edition One copyright 2017, Edition Two Copyright 2018, etc.

Or even (example) 2017 Edition copyright June 1, 2017, 2018 Edition copyright June 1, 2018 etc.

 

[quincy]

It can also be listed as Edition One copyright 2017, Edition Two Copyright 2018, etc.

Or even (example) 2017 Edition copyright June 1, 2017, 2018 Edition copyright June 1, 2018 etc.

But that is a lot of words that are unnecessary.

 

[FlyingRon]

Of course, as far as basic copyright goes since 1989, there's no requirement to put DATES or anything else in the book.

 

[quincy]

Of course, as far as basic copyright goes since 1989, there's no requirement to put DATES or anything else in the book.

Copyrights do not have to be registered. Publishers require copyright dates in the books they publish.

 

[attroll]

Did you read it?

When there are changes to a previous edition, there is a new copyright created and a new copyright date.

I read the link that was posted but it left me a little confused.

I am reprinting the book and I will be doing it every year. It is the same book but there are changes throughout the book every year.

I think it falls into category "B" but not sure which one subcategory? But correct me if I am wrong?

Would it be either item 3 or 4? or am I wrong all together?

item 3, is a Reprint
or
item 4, is a Revised Edition.

 

[quincy]

I read the link that was posted but it left me a little confused.

I am reprinting the book and I will be doing it every year. It is the same book but there are changes throughout the book every year.

I think it falls into category "B" but not sure which one subcategory? But correct me if I am wrong?

Would it be either item 3 or 4? or am I wrong all together?

item 3, is a Reprint
or
item 4, is a Revised Edition.

It falls under B - new copyright for new material.

You want to list the first copyright date (which covers all of the original content) and you want to list subsequent copyrights (which cover all of the new material).

If you never changed the content of your work and you were only making reprints of the original work, there would only be the single copyright date (the date of first publication) even if you made reprints of the original work several years later.

To preserve copyright protection in their works, many authors will add additional material - easier to do with nonfictional works than fictional works (although translations into a different language - creating a derivative - creates a new copyright).

 

[attroll]

It falls under B - new copyright for new material.

You want to list the first copyright date (which covers all of the original content) and you want to list subsequent copyrights (which cover all of the new material).

If you never changed the content of your work and you were only making reprints of the original work, there would only be the single copyright date (the date of first publication) even if you made reprints of the original work several years later.

To preserve copyright protection in their works, many authors will add additional material - easier to do with nonfictional works than fictional works (although translations into a different language - creating a derivative - creates a new copyright).

I would not be just making reprints because there will be changes that have to be done in the book every year.
I believe with the changes I will be making every year it would be considered changing the content, right?

If that the case do I have to list it like this?

"Copyright © 2017, Revised Edition 2018, Revised Edition 2019 Joe Blow . All rights reserved."
or
"Copyright © 2017, Revised Edition 2018, 2019 Joe Blow . All rights reserved."

 

[quincy]

I would not be just making reprints because there will be changes that have to be done in the book every year.
I believe with the changes I will be making every year it would be considered changing the content, right?

If that the case do I have to list it like this?

"Copyright © 2017, Revised Edition 2018, Revised Edition 2019 Joe Blow . All rights reserved."
or
"Copyright © 2017, Revised Edition 2018, 2019 Joe Blow . All rights reserved."

Right. If you are making changes to the contents of your original, you are creating a new copyright in the work.

Reprints with no changes only have one copyright date - the date of first publication. If you kept reprinting the same hiking guidebook year after year with no changes, the copyright date would be the date you first published your guidebook. You would have a single copyright date.

Because you are making changes to your guidebook every year, you have different copyright dates every year - the date of first publication which covers all of your original content, followed by the dates of all subsequent publications when the content has changed.

If your guidebook was originally published in 2016, the copyright is 2016. You republish the guidebook in 2017 with content additions or changes and your guidebook now has copyright 2016, 2017. If you republish again with new content in 2018, your guidebook has copyright 2016, 2017, 2018.

You do not have to add "revised edition" because you would not have a new copyright date unless the work was revised. You would only have the date the original was published.