How Do You Copyright an Ebook?
Quick Answer: Your ebook is automatically copyrighted the moment you write it. No registration, filing, or notice is required for the copyright to exist. Registering with the US Copyright Office ($65 online) adds legal protections that matter if someone copies your work, including the ability to sue for statutory damages and attorney's fees in federal court.
Copyright confusion is common because people conflate the protection (which is automatic) with the registration (which is optional but valuable).
What Automatic Copyright Gives You
The moment you write original content and save it in a fixed form (a document, a file, a manuscript), copyright attaches. You own the rights to that work. No one can legally reproduce, distribute, or create derivative works from it without your permission. This protection exists in the US and in every country that has signed the Berne Convention (nearly all countries).
Adding a copyright notice to your book ("© 2026 [Your Name]. All rights reserved.") is customary but not legally required. It puts readers on notice that the work is protected and identifies you as the rights holder.
What Registration Adds
Registering with the US Copyright Office provides three additional legal tools:
The ability to sue in federal court. Without registration, you can claim copyright, but you cannot file a lawsuit for infringement in federal court in the US.
Statutory damages. With timely registration (before infringement or within three months of publication), you can claim statutory damages of $750 to $30,000 per work infringed, or up to $150,000 for willful infringement. Without registration, you're limited to actual damages, which are often too small to justify legal costs.
Attorney's fees. Timely registration allows the court to award attorney's fees, which makes pursuing infringement claims financially viable.
How to Register
Go to copyright.gov, create an account, select "Register a Work," choose "Literary Work," fill out the application with your book's title and author information, upload a copy of your manuscript (PDF or EPUB), and pay $65. The process takes about 20 minutes. Official processing takes several months, but protection dates back to the filing date.
Bottom Line
Copyright is automatic. Registration is optional but recommended for any ebook you're investing significant time and money in. File within three months of publication to preserve your right to statutory damages. The $65 fee is one of the least expensive forms of legal protection available. For more, see ISBN and Copyright Guidance for Ebook Authors.
Q: Do you need to copyright your ebook before publishing? A: Your ebook is automatically copyrighted upon creation. Registration with the US Copyright Office is optional but recommended. You can register before or after publication, but registering within three months of publication preserves your right to statutory damages.
Q: How much does it cost to copyright an ebook? A: Online registration with the US Copyright Office costs $65 per work as of 2026. Processing takes several months, but the protection dates back to the date of filing.