To copyright an eBook, you will need to register your work with the the copyright office or appropriate government agency in your country. You typically will need to pay a small fee and provide a digital copy of the eBook. Although an eBook is a digital file, it has the same rights as a printed book in many jurisdictions. An eBook typically can be protected the same way as a printed book, and it follows a similar registration and copyright process. A digital registration acts the same as a paper registration, making it legal and binding for the author.
If you want to copyright an eBook, first determine which government agency handles copyrights where you live. An Internet search often will provide the answer, or you might ask an employee at your local library — if he or she isn't sure, the library probably will have resources that will provide an answer. You might be able to copyright an eBook online at the government agency's website. If this is not possible, you can copyright an eBook by visiting the copyright office in person and filling out the necessary paperwork.
The author of an eBook generally owns the copyright to his or her work from the moment the work is created. In many jurisdictions, any digital work that is in a fixed form is automatically copyrighted, no matter whether it has been registered with a government agency. Unless an author legally transfers his or her rights to another party, only the author owns the copyright and any associated benefits.
An eBook typically needs to be registered and copyright protected in order to have any legal recourse, if that need arises. By registering and filing for copyright protection, the digital document is made a matter of public record. Legal advantages exist for public record documents, including the pursuit of any necessary legal actions.
If a digital work for publication is copyrighted, its validity is proven by the copyright’s registration. As the author of the eBook, you typically are entitled to statutory damages and attorney fees if your copyright is violated. If the registration is not done within a certain time frame, however, you might be eligible only to sue for loss of profits and other financial damages as a result of the infringement.