# Copyright
**URL:** https://forum.4specs.com/t/copyright/897
**Category:** Archive - Specifications Discussions #3
**Created:** [October 2, 2007, 2:38am UTC](https://forum.4specs.com/t/copyright/897 "2007-10-02T02:38:27Z")
**Posts on this page:** 11
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@lazarcitec](https://forum.4specs.com/u/lazarcitec)
#### Post date: [October 2, 2007, 2:38am UTC](https://forum.4specs.com/t/copyright/897/1 "2007-10-02T02:38:27Z")
Looking for information on how to copywright forms/checklists that we issue on our jobs? Is there an easy website for this? Long long does it take and how much does it cost?
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### Author:  [@specman](https://forum.4specs.com/u/specman)
#### Post date: [October 2, 2007, 3:05am UTC](https://forum.4specs.com/t/copyright/897/2 "2007-10-02T03:05:10Z")
Everything created has a copyright and doesn’t need any formal recording. The use of the circled “c” or the word “copyright” on the document will help in notifying others that the document is copyrighted.
However, if you want to formally register something as copyrighted material, check out this website: [http://www.copyright.gov/register/](http://www.copyright.gov/register/)
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### Author:  [@lazarcitec](https://forum.4specs.com/u/lazarcitec)
#### Post date: [October 2, 2007, 4:19am UTC](https://forum.4specs.com/t/copyright/897/3 "2007-10-02T04:19:41Z")
Thanks Ron
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### Author:  [@Unregistered\_Guest](https://forum.4specs.com/u/Unregistered_Guest)
#### Post date: [October 2, 2007, 5:05am UTC](https://forum.4specs.com/t/copyright/897/4 "2007-10-02T05:05:52Z")
For a good treatment of copyrighting check out the book by Nolo Press at [www.nolo.com](http://www.nolo.com).
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### Author:  [@David\_Axt](https://forum.4specs.com/u/David_Axt)
#### Post date: [October 2, 2007, 5:06pm UTC](https://forum.4specs.com/t/copyright/897/5 "2007-10-02T17:06:10Z")
Okay this begs the question. Jerome, why would you want to copyright a form or checklist for a specific job?
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### Author:  [@David\_J.Wyatt\_CSI\_CCS\_CCCA](https://forum.4specs.com/u/David_J.Wyatt_CSI_CCS_CCCA)
#### Post date: [October 2, 2007, 7:06pm UTC](https://forum.4specs.com/t/copyright/897/6 "2007-10-02T19:06:12Z")
Claiming copyright is one issue. Enforcing it is another. As to the former, in this world of sharing and borrowing ideas, it is not very clear whose intellectual property we are working with at any given time. As to the latter, chasing down plagiarists is expensive and not often successful - something I would rather have my competitors doing with their time.
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### Author:  [@lazarcitec](https://forum.4specs.com/u/lazarcitec)
#### Post date: [October 2, 2007, 8:12pm UTC](https://forum.4specs.com/t/copyright/897/7 "2007-10-02T20:12:24Z")
David
To answer you question, it would be nice if all my clients were loyal, but some go shopping around for lower price specs and get them from less qualified ‘specwriters’. I am finishing work on a Quality Control form that I’ve been working on for years, so I want to at least copyright it so maybe it will prevent others for using it. I am stipulating that the form is to be used on projects where we are providing specifications…I don’t know if a copyright will protect my work, but I figure its worth a shot.
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### Author:  [@Rliebing](https://forum.4specs.com/u/Rliebing)
#### Post date: [October 2, 2007, 8:18pm UTC](https://forum.4specs.com/t/copyright/897/8 "2007-10-02T20:18:08Z")
Jerome, look at the copyright page of some books and you’ll see the limits usually placed under the copyright, as to re-use. As David Wyatt said, enforcement is messy and costly if undertaken, but often enough just the circled c will fend off ill-minded folks. Copyright to you personally, I’d counsel; not to a project specifically as that restricts even your use.
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### Author:  [@rlmat](https://forum.4specs.com/u/rlmat)
#### Post date: [October 2, 2007, 11:51pm UTC](https://forum.4specs.com/t/copyright/897/9 "2007-10-02T23:51:11Z")
One issue with formally copyrighting is reproduction.
Most print houses will not copy such material. This could be sticky if the forms, etc. are to be bound in the Project Manual.
I recently had this happen with an outside consultant (hired by the owner) who copyrighted his entire section.
It required him to print all of the copies we needed for distribution and was issued separately from the rest of the Project Specifications.
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### Author:  [@specman](https://forum.4specs.com/u/specman)
#### Post date: [October 3, 2007, 3:20am UTC](https://forum.4specs.com/t/copyright/897/10 "2007-10-03T03:20:43Z")
That can be easily overcome by adding a provision in the Architect-Consultant Agreement that the architect has a license to reproduce the consultant’s work directly related to the project.
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### Author:  [@mchavez](https://forum.4specs.com/u/mchavez)
#### Post date: [October 3, 2007, 3:27pm UTC](https://forum.4specs.com/t/copyright/897/11 "2007-10-03T15:27:56Z")
See Sept 07 “Architect” mag. page 47 for “copyright 101” article.