Copyright 101: For Authors, Bloggers, and Creatives

Copyright tips and tricks so you can protect your work like an attorney--without having to hire one.

A Former Trial Attorney Turned Fiction Author Teaches You How To Protect Your Work!

Question . . .

What’s the number one protection all creators MUST know about or risk having their life’s work stolen and used by someone else? 

If you guessed trademark, contract, or even patent you’d be wrong.

Yes, those things are all very important but the number 1 protection all creators--whether you’re an author, poet, blogger, photographer, influencer, or content creator--must know is copyright!

Imagine This . . .

After hours of research, outlining, creating, pouring your heart and soul onto paper or video, and editing your masterpiece, you finally hit publish on that new poem/short story/book/blog post/online course/video/photo and think . . . WOW! All my hard work is finally done! My creative “baby” is out in the world! And then . . . panic ensues.

You start playing the what-if game. What if someone likes my idea so much, they steal it? What if another author or blogger is too lazy to come up with their own content so they take mine and claim it as their own? What if that agent/publisher/dealmaker I’m talking to takes my idea and hires someone else to create it instead of me? What if I enter into a deal and accidentally sign away my rights to parts of my work I didn’t know I was entitled to (like tv rights, movie rights, audiorights, etc.). What if I lose out on millions of dollars that could have been mine?

As a creative, your work is the MOST important product you’ll ever own . . . BUT ONLY IF you protect it the right way.

Instead, what do most of us end up doing? We spend about 99% of our time creating our work and about 1% trying to protect it from theft or misappropriation. Which would be okay if we lived in a world where everyone played fair, but instead people are out there taking advantage of creators like you, using other's work and trying to make a profit off it. Have you heard about these real-life stories:

• The Swedish author who wrote an unauthorized sequel to THE CATCHER IN THE RYE, called 60 YEARS LATER: COMING THROUGH THE RYE, which told the story of what happened to Holden Caulfield decades after the events in the original Salinger novel. 

• Producers who staged a musical version of GONE WITH THE WIND called SCARLETT FEVER, telling the story from the same basic perspective as Margaret Mitchell’s bestselling book.

• A HARRY POTTER super fan who created an online guide to the HARRY POTTER universe, called THE HARRY POTTER LEXICON and then tried to ink a deal for a book version of it.

• Author Harper Lee being allegedly duped into signing over her only novel's copyright for TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD over to her literary agent, Samuel Pinkus, after suffering from a stroke in 2007.

• Popular Young Adult author L.J. Smith being commissioned as a “work for hire” for the hit series THE VAMPIRE DIARIES. According to L.J., she had no ideas what “work for hire” meant, and after writing a number of best-selling, beloved books in the series, she was fired and replaced with ghostwriters who now determine how the series will end.

Does this give you heartburn and a yucky, icky feeling deep in the pit of your gut? Imagine putting years of hard work into your creations just to have someone else profit off it. Getting money, credit, even fame that should be yours! Or worse, changing your beloved works to suit whatever ends they want. These aren’t just made-up stories. These are real people who have had their life’s work stolen, exploited, and taken advantage of. It can happen to anyone! And it can happen to YOU if you fail to properly protect yourself. Without copyright protection and enforcement, it’s all up for grabs . . .

In the complicated world of copyright, what you don’t know CAN and WILL hurt you!

Let me know if this sounds familiar . . .

• You know protecting your original work is important and you’ve even tried chatting with a lawyer, but not only do they not get what you do as a writer/ blogger/creative, they’re also super expensive--charging upwards of $400, $500, or even more for a simple phone call or quick email regarding your copyright questions.

• You keep putting off the complicated and confusing "business stuff" until you’re making money from your creative business because it’s just too darn intimidating--but that’s backfiring because people don’t see you as a “real” player in your field without a copyright notice on your book or blog.

• You’ve tried the DIY approach but instead of finding answers, you wind up spending hours on Google going down a never-ending rabbit hole reading websites, blog posts, and social media feeds written by people who aren't professionals, have no real life experience with copyright, and have no idea what they're talking about. You should be creating content but instead are wasting hours for nothing.

• You’ve found your blog posts, stories, or photos on other's websites and social media when you did not give permission for this use and you have no idea how to get them to take your work down.

• You have an amazing idea to launch a YouTube channel/book trailer/online course but you’re too afraid to do it because you’re scared you might get into trouble for using photos, or music that isn't yours.

• Your website is ugly and lacks visual appeal because you aren’t a professional photographer. You want to add beautiful photos you find online but aren’t sure how to properly do this.

• You want to go the indie publishing/self publishing route. (Traditional publishers, who needs ‘em! You’re going to do this yourself!) You know copyright is essential but you have no idea where to start. Wait--what’s a copyright page? And what’s with this ISBN business--is it the same as copyright or different? WHY IS THIS ALL SO CONFUSING!!!

Now what if you didn't have to worry about this?

What would it be like to go to sleep at night knowing you’ve done everything you can to protect yourself? What would that feel like, not having to worry about the business stuff, so you can get back to creating and growing your business? How much more confident would you feel knowing you are protected, and if any trouble comes your way you know exactly how to handle it?

Here’s the good news!

Once you know how copyright works, what rights you own in your work, and how to protect them from theft possible, you can: 

✅ Pitch your book until your heart’s content at conferences and industry events or on Twitter pitch parties to try and land your next big agent/publishing deal without fear.

✅ Dust off that online course/create that YouTube channel you've been afraid to launch and put it out to the world.

✅ Forget waiting for traditional publishers to come around, you can become the CEO of your own indie publishing house and publish your own books, knowing your work is protected from copyright infringement.

✅ Look like a total pro and be taken seriously by potential customers, collaborators, and social media followers.

✅ Know exactly how to protect your book from theft, whether you write fiction or nonfiction, or publish traditionally or independently (or do all of the above).

✅ If anyone dares to steal your creative content and get in your way--you know how to make them stop.

I’m telling you, these things are totally within reach even if you’re just starting out on the business end of writing, blogging, and content creation and know absolutely nothing about business, intellectual property and copyright . . . but you’ll need an experience guide to get you there. 

Introducing my course: Copyright 101--For Authors, Bloggers, and Creatives

This is a premiere educational course specifically designed for all creatives that takes you step-by-step to understand what copyright is (and isn’t), how it works to protect you, the biggest pitfalls to be aware of, how to properly register your copyrights so you are protected, how to properly use other’s work without running afoul of copyright rules, and how to stop someone from stealing your work. You'll also get essential examples of templates you need to protect your copyrighted work now and later.

Say no more. I'm in!

Let me help you protect your MOST important asset!

Here’s what you’ll learn inside Copyright 101:

HOW COPYRIGHT WORKS 

You’ll learn how copyright is different from other intellectual property protections like trademark and patent and why it is essential for creatives. You’ll understand what copyright protects--and what it doesn’t.

WHAT IS PROTECTED 

You’ll understand the three key elements your work must have in order to be protected by copyright. (That’s right--not all work is protected!) We’ll go through who gets to own the copyright--including a very important discussion of widely misunderstood “work-for-hire” so you won’t inadvertently sell the rights in your work to someone else.

HOW TO REGISTER YOUR WORK AND GIVE "NOTICE" OF COPYRIGHT

I’ll teach you how to register your work with the Copyright Office and everything you need to know about notifying others of your copyright, including concrete examples of where and how to put this notice on your work. You’ll also learn the most crucial steps you must take to make sure this is done correctly--and where most people go wrong! 

HOW TO SELL YOUR WORK

We’ll also break down what you must know about derivative rights and licensing portions of your work for profit the right way, as well as making sure you don’t inadvertently license them away on social media because of burdensome and overcomplicated User Agreements you don’t understand.

HOW TO STOP BAD GUY INFRINGERS

Not only will you learn how to spot infringement and know when this bad conduct is actionable (hint: not all conduct that borrows your work is!), but I’ll teach you all the things you can do to stop theft WITHOUT having to hire expensive lawyers. You’ll learn all about your rights under the Digital Millennium Copyright Act to stop infringement, and I’ll give you templates to prevent theft including: (1) a DMCA Takedown Notice and (2) a Cease and Desist Letter.  

HOW TO SAFELY USE OTHER'S CONTENT

We'll also go over how not to get into hot water by copying works of others. There are plenty of places you can get photos, videos, and music for free to use in your own books, website, blog posts, and video content but if you pick the wrong ones you can get into big trouble. You might even get hit with a lawsuit asking for thousands of dollars!

With Copyright 101, you'll get tools to:

✅ Understand and avoid the pitfalls of the “work-for-hire” doctrine so you don’t accidentally sign away your rights to the wrong person.

✅ Learn how to read a User Agreement so you don’t inadvertently waive your copyright rights to online websites and social media companies.

✅ Understand the “Notice” requirement and how to properly give notice in your book and on your website with sample copyright pages and footers. 

✅ Learn how to register your work with the U.S. Copyright office and get your work officially copyrighted so by the end of my course, you will know exactly how to do this. 

✅ Understand how to spot infringement and ways to take action against an infringer without having to hire an expensive lawyer, using my easy to understand templates for a Takedown Notice and/or Cease and Desist Letter.

✅ Understand when and how you can use the works of others like photos, prose, quotes, songs, and lyrics in your own works without running afoul of copyright and the where to find works you can properly use without worrying about copyright.

Join today and get instant access to the following:

Video Training

My online class will walk you through every aspect of copyright in clear, easy-to-understand language so you’ll know exactly what steps to take to protect yourself and your work.

Sample Templates

We'll go over sample language in the powerpoint so you can get those contracts and website policies in place and protecting you ASAP.

Class Resources

Because everyone learns differently, in addition to the videos, all students will receive a copy of the slide presentation in PDF form. I will also provide transcripts of the entire course, as well as a downloadable mp3. I know every student is different so I want to make sure you have all the tools necessary to learn at your own pace.

Lifetime Of Free Updates

As long as my course is online, if my course is updated in the future you will be able to access the most relevant, up-to-date info for your business.

What People Are Saying About Copyright 101:

So… what's this going to set me back financially?

Hiring an attorney is expensive, anywhere from hundreds to thousands of dollars, but by taking my course you will learn about copyright for a fraction of the price. 

Yes, you could try and teach this to yourself, staying up late at night on Google, binge-listening to podcasts by people who aren’t even professionals and don’t know what they are talking about. Only to find out you still feel confused—and you've losing precious time when you should be working on your next great novel.

Or, you could enroll in my copyright course right now and let me do the heavy lifting for you. After my course, you’ll know what you need to know and have action steps and workable, easy to understand examples to up-level your business. You’ve worked hard to create something valuable--let’s make sure it’s protected!

Here's what you’re getting:

• Step-by-step how to video tutorials ($1,200 value)

• Sample website Copyright Notice language ($300 value)

• Sample website Terms of Use language ($300 value)

• Copyright Page Template ($375 value)

• DMCA Takedown Notice Template ($375 value)

• Cease and Desist Letter Template ($375 value)

• Permissions Letter Template ($375 value)

WOW! That's a seriously steep savings of $3,300

of business education! Grab it while you can!

But wait--there’s more:

By taking my course, you’ll also be able to do a variety of copyright-related tasks yourself WITHOUT having to hire an expensive attorney. Most intellectual property attorneys charge an hourly rate anywhere from $400-$1,000 an hour! Even using a modest hourly rate and incredibly conservative time estimates (see below), you’ll save thousands of dollars after my course knowing how to do the following yourself:

• Draft a Cease and Desist Letter (attorney cost $800-$1,200)

• Draft a website Terms of Use Agreement (attorney cost $400-$800)

• Consult on best ways to provide notice on all your creative works like books, website, photos, and online courses (attorney cost $400-$800)

• Inventory your creative portfolio and provide guidance on what to copyright (attorney cost $400-$1,600)

• Review basic licensing agreement for red flags (attorney cost $400-$800)

• Draft a Digital Millennium Copyright Act Takedown Notice (attorney cost $400-$800)

• Consult on copyright infringement issues within your creative portfolio (attorney cost $400-$1,600)

• Draft a Permissions Letter for permission to use copyrighted material (attorney cost $400-$800)

Who is this course for?

✅ Beginners and seasoned writers, authors, bloggers, creatives, photographers, novelists, short story writers, poets, playwrights, screenwriters, biographers, historians, online course creators, creators of how-to-guides, scientific and technical writers, nonfiction writers, journalists, freelance writers, copywriters, ghostwriters, people offered work-for-hire gigs, editors, book publishers, self-publishers, indie publishers, librarians, teachers, literary agents, and anyone else in the creative industry who wants to learn about copyright law and your rights.

✅ If you’re just starting out or just starting to get your business safeguards in place, this online course has all the training and examples you need to get started copyrighting your work.

✅ Passionate entrepreneurs with creative content to protect. The program is designed with all kinds of content creators in mind. If you’ve got content like ebooks or even online courses you want to make a profit from and protect, this course is for you, too! 

✅ The “Type A” rule followers who like to do things legit. You play by the rules and want to make sure your business is doing things correctly when it comes to intellectual property protection. 

✅ You’re here to build a successful, creative empire and you want a solid business foundation to get it done.  

Who is this course not for?

❌ This course isn’t for people looking for personal legal advice or who need to hire their own attorney. Although I am an attorney, I am not your attorney and cannot provide you with any personal legal advice. 

❌ If you’re looking for someone to handle all the steps without you being involved at all, you need to hire a personal attorney. This course still requires you to take some steps on your own, though I will be there to guide you along the way.  

❌If you need an attorney to draft or file paperwork, file a lawsuit, or defend you in a lawsuit, you need to hire a personal attorney. Although I am an attorney, I am not your attorney and cannot provide you with any personal legal advice. 

❌If you're looking to trademark or patent your works. This course is only about copyright.

COME JOIN ME AND LEARN HOW TO MAKE YOUR CREATIVE BUSINESS LEGIT!

Frequently Asked Questions

Will I still need a lawyer if I purchase this course?

This course is for educational purposes only! This program is not a substitute for personal legal advice from your own licensed attorney. I am not your attorney and purchasing this course does not create any attorney-client relationship. This course is not meant to be a substitute to traditional legal services. For any specialized intellectual property issues like filing a lawsuit, it’s always a good idea to hire a local attorney licensed where you live & work who knows what you do.

Where does Copyright 101 take place? 

Online! All of the content will be available to you upon purchase and is hosted on this online platform, Teachable. You will be given lifetime access to this course so long as it exists, so you can go through the modules in any time frame that works for you.

Do you offer refunds?

Due to the immediate access to the program and downloadable nature of all of its materials and bonuses, I do not offer refunds for Copyright 101. Please do not enroll in Copyright 101 if you just want to “check it out” or looking for quick tips without doing any work yourself. I put an extraordinary amount of time and effort into this program and have already greatly discounted the true value of my services to allow more students to take part in this course. Copyright 101 is for serious students only and no refunds, exchanges, or threats of chargebacks for any reason will be accepted or tolerated.

How quickly will I get access to the materials?

As soon as you click the button to enroll, you’ll receive an email to gain immediate access to all of the content.

Is Copyright 101 right for me? I'm just getting started with my books/blog/YouTube/TikTok, etc.

Anyone who creates and publishes original creative content can benefit from copyright protection. Some of the most frequent “types” of students that take this class are: writers, authors of fiction and nonfiction, bloggers looking to protect blog posts and photos, YouTube and TikTok stars looking to protect their content, coaches looking to create ebooks and online courses, podcasters wanting to protect their podcasts, and social media strategists who need to protect their clients online. The course is used by both beginners and more experienced entrepreneurs.

Are you my personal attorney/can I hire you as my personal attorney?

Nope, sorry. I am a business consultant not currently practicing law for individual clients and and am not currently looking to take on any personal clients. I may from time to time offer business consulting and you can check my website for this option. This copyright course is for educational purposes only! This program is not a substitute for personal legal advice from your own licensed attorney. I am not your attorney and purchasing this course does not create any attorney-client relationship. This course is not meant to be a substitute to traditional legal services. For any specialized intellectual property issues like filing a lawsuit, it’s always a good idea to hire a local attorney licensed where you live & work who knows what you do. 

Is there any individual coaching or personalized support from Liani included?

Because of the low price point of this course and because taking this course does not create any attorney-client relationship, there is no one-to-one instruction from me. However, you can always email me at [email protected] if you have questions about this program. There is also a Facebook group you can join to interact with the Copyright 101 community.

How much time is this going to take me?

This course is designed so that all the modules may be watched in one sitting or individually. Each module is under 20 minutes and the total course is approximately 75 minutes long. Feel free to tackle at your own pace, as questions come up in your biz. 

Is this really worth the investment for me?

If you are serious about making money from your creative works, you need to protect them. It's that simple.

What format is the course delivered in?

All video lessons are delivered by video with Powerpoint presentations on screen, plus transcript downloads, handouts, and audio. All files are .pdf files that will open with any word PDF reader software.

I live outside the U.S., can I still take this course?

Absolutely! However, please be aware that the videos and transcribes are in English. Also, the majority of the course is geared toward copyright protection in the United States and I will not be covering the nitty gritty of protection outside the U.S. Also please pay attention to all currency rates and foreign transaction fees that may occur, as the financial responsibility is yours.

What types of payments do you accept? 

Payment is made through Teachable, which accepts all major credit cards.

I have more questions, how can I get in touch?

I’d love to talk to you! You’re more than welcome to drop me a line at [email protected] if you have any questions about my course.  

Still have questions about my course? You can always contact me at [email protected].

LEGAL DISCLAIMER❗️❗️❗️

Copyright 101 isn't legal advice.

OK, I hope from all the FAQ questions above this is now obvious, but just in case, this course is educational and instructional only. I am not your attorney. Reading this website page or signing up for this course does not make me your attorney or create any attorney-client relationship. This course is not a substitute for an attorney or law firm. I do not provide legal services or legal advice, and the stuff you buy or get as a free gift like templates or samples in this course or any education information on this website page is not legal advice. (If it was, it'd cost a lot more money than what I’m charging!)

You are solely responsible for ensuring that the information in Copyright 101 and any materials like fill-in-the-blank templates received in the course are used appropriately and correctly in your business. I do not warrant that any templates that have been filled in for use are correct, complete, or up to date. There is no attorney-client relationship between you and myself or any of my employees and principals. By purchasing Copyright 101 and accessing the course or materials, you agree to be bound by my Terms of Use and Disclaimers on my website www.RektokRoss.com and also via those posted on Teachable.