I have finished writing my book! And now what?…

It is evident that thinking and writing a book is not a simple task, as it involves a creative and artistic effort with a certain level of complexity, in which the author expresses their ideas under a logical and novel pattern, and sometimes even original, creating an artistic imaginary that captures the reader's attention.

The work involved in writing a book is impressive, and it brings with it, in most cases, an enormous satisfaction for its author, who feels a "feeling"; a sense of attraction towards their creation, feeling it as a part of their body, something that will be united with them forever. It is an admirable relationship, where the author intends to announce their new creation to the world, and for that purpose seeks a way to publish it, but is publication the first thing to do after finishing a literary work? The answer is no, because even though the author is aware of the ownership of their creation, it is advisable to register the work, so that there is a record or proof of authorship before others, since until that moment they have no support other than their word and honor, in case any issue arises with third parties over the authorship of the literary work, especially with unpublished works.

What does registering a book consist of?

It is a procedure carried out before the works registration office. In Colombia, this procedure is regulated by Law 23 of 1982, and it is carried out before the registration office of the National Copyright Directorate (DNDA), with the purpose of: 1) Giving publicity to the rights of the holders; and 2) Providing a guarantee of authenticity and security to intellectual property titles and to the acts and documents related to them[1].

But what benefits does registering the book have for the author?

In addition to giving publicity to the ownership of the right, the registration of works provides the author with a certificate to which they will have access, where the important information of the work is recorded, which was verified at the time of registration, such as the number of folios (pages) in which the registration has been made; the title of the registered work, and other circumstances that contribute to its perfect recognition and serve to identify it at any time.[2]

By having the work registered, the person can begin to exercise with greater security the rights they have as the author of the work, that is, for example, they may authorize or oppose the reproduction of the work, they may assign the rights they have over it, in whole or in part, and generally dispose openly of all the rights they have over their creation. All of the above will be recorded in the database of the work, where all information about changes in the ownership of the rights of the work will be stored.

The above means that the registered owner of the work may openly oppose any usurpation by a third party of the rights they have as the author; that is, they will be entitled to prove that they are the author of the work before the authorities and demand that they take the necessary measures to protect the work and the rights over it.

Thus, the registration of the work is a beneficial element with which the author can openly exercise the rights they have over their creation, and even demand respect for them. It is also important to highlight its usefulness when executing contracts for the disposition of the work, such as assigning your work in whole or in part, or even making the work available, among others. Registration allows proving to individuals or corporations that it is with the registered owner that negotiations or investments in the wonderful creation that has been generated should be discussed.

How much does it cost to register your book?

The best of all is that the registration of literary works has no cost, as established by Colombian legislation through articles 205 and 206 of Law 23 of 1982. Therefore, carrying out the procedure before the DNDA does not generate any economic expense for the author.

How and what is needed to carry out the procedure?

Registration can be done in person at the registration office in Colombia (DNDA), but it is also allowed to do it virtually on the DNDA website, where the author can provide the necessary documentation through electronic means to corroborate the authorship of the work they intend to register.

To register an unpublished work (one that has never been published), a single copy must be submitted to the DNDA, in typewritten form, without amendments, erasures, or interlineations, with the author's notarized signature, and duly bound.[3]

How long does the procedure take?

The registration procedure takes 15 business days from the filing of the registration application, during which the user will receive a positive or negative response to the registration request. In the case of a negative response, they will have information about whether there is another person attempting to register a similar literary work.

In conclusion, registering your book represents beneficial elements in your favor that will help you protect or dispose of your creation with greater security, avoiding subsequent inconveniences, and the best of all is that it is fast, simple, modern, and free. So don't ask yourself why you should do it, ask yourself why you haven't done it.