As I was writing, I was paranoid about losing my work. Dropbox is a great tool for that. It is a free program that you can download that creates a folder on your computer. Everything in this folder is stored in the cloud by Dropbox. If your computer is stolen or destroyed, you will not lose your work. You never have to back your work up on flash drives. You can access your book anywhere in the world on any computer that has an internet connection. If you decide to sign up for Dropbox, then send me your email address. I’ll send you a referral email and if you sign up through the referral then we will both get 500 MB of bonus storage space.
You might be thinking, “I don’t want to store anything on the cloud, someone might steal it.” I doubt that this will happen, but even if it does, you will probably be fine. According to the United States Code, Title 17, section 102(a), “Copyright protection subsists, in accordance with this title, in original works of authorship fixed in any tangible medium of expression, now known or later developed, from which they can be perceived, reproduced, or otherwise communicated, either directly or with the aid of a machine or device.” You don’t have to register your work with the Copyright office to get protection. You do have to fix it in a tangible medium of expression. This almost certainly does not mean that you actually have to print your work out. See Stern Elec., Inc. v. Daufman, 669 F.2d 852, 855 (2d Cir. 1982) (“the memory devices of the game satisfy the statutory requirement of a ‘copy’ in which the work is ‘fixed’”). Typing your story out and storing it on a “memory device” like your computer’s hard drive should be enough to get you the Copyright protection that you deserve.
You can register your work with the United States Copyright Office. There are many benefits of registration. Registration is pretty easy. I did it myself online. It only cost $35. I was able to submit a copy of my manuscript electronically. To get started, go to this website - http://www.copyright.gov/ Then, click on the "registration" tab. From there, you should be able to find the "eCO" system for online registration.
By the way, the materials in this guide are provided for informational purposes only and do not constitute legal advice. Do not rely on this guide for legal advice. Instead, consult a licensed attorney in your jurisdiction. This guide is only meant to for general informational or educational purposes. Transmission of this guide is not intended to create and does not constitute an attorney-client relationship between myself and anyone. Do not act or rely on any information contained in this guide without first seeking the advice of an attorney.
