George is correct in that one doesn't have to "apply" for a copyright. I'm quoting from my business law book: Works created after January 1, 1978 are automatically given statutory copyright protection for the life of the author plus fifty years. <snip> A copyright owner no longer needs to place a [c-circle--you know what I mean but I don't know how to make the symbol] or R on the work to have the work protected against infringement. Back to my words: Having said that, however, the benefit to REGISTERING the copyright, which is what you do when you send $20, the form, and a copy of your work to the Library of Congress, is that it makes it a heck of a lot easier to prove that the work is truly yours. I can't find a reference in my book to back me up on this, but I think I remember my professer saying if you had registered your works and then you won a copyright infringement case in court, you were entitled to greater damages than if your work were unregistered, like you could maybe get punitive damages as well as real damages. Since I can't find the reference that says that, I won't swear that's true, but I can say without a doubt that if it came down to your word against somebody else's about who wrote something, it would probably be worth $20 to be able to prove without a doubt it was your work. And for what it's worth, you can't copyright ideas, only the particular way in which an idea is expressed, nor can you copyright facts that are widely known to the public, although compilations of facts (like your family history) are copyrightable. Beverly George Morgan said: >You do NOT need to "apply" for a copyright.  Simply by adding the >copyright sign, followed by the words, "Copyright 1998 [your name here] >- ALl rights reserved" you have preserved your rights.  Long past are >the days of applying to the Patent Office for a copyright. > >Mark and Peggy Perry wrote: >> At 10:42 AM 6/30/98 -0500, Ardis wrote: >> >Does the copyright laws effect family history books?  In other words, do >> >I need to get permission to print information for my family history >> >book?  The books would be printed strictly for our family members and >> >not for sale to the general public.  Besides the birth, marriage, and >> >death dates of family members, I'd like to include information and >> >history of places our ancestors came from. >> > >> >Thanks for any help you can give me. >> >Ardis >> >