Discussion:
What is the name of your state? Vermont
I have developed a written report that will be sold to clients. It will always include some boilerplate and some customized content such as a ranking scale. The customized content will always have the same format and organization, and a sample report without it would be very incomplete.
Can I submit one sample report that shows all the content, can I only show the boilerplate, or do I have to copyright every individual report?
Answer:
What is the name of your state? Vermont
I have developed a written report that will be sold to clients. It will always include some boilerplate and some customized content such as a ranking scale. The customized content will always have the same format and organization, and a sample report without it would be very incomplete.
Can I submit one sample report that shows all the content, can I only show the boilerplate, or do I have to copyright every individual report? The answer depends on what exactly you are looking to protect. If what you are mainly trying to protect is the boilerplate language and the form itself, then you will only need to file one form TX and provide a copy of the blank form with all of the boilerplate.
If what you are really trying to protect is the customized content in each case, then you will need to file a form TX for each completely filled-out form you want to protect.
If you only register the boilerplate form, its not as if the custom content won't be protected -- it will -- but you won't be able to sue for statutory damages based solely on infringement of the custom content, only actual damages.
Answer:
Would there be any downside to sending a completed form that includes both the boilerplate and an example of the custom content?
By way of analogy, Consumer Reports sells custom reports for buyers and sellers of used cars, based on data about mileage, age, condition, etc. I'd be surprised if they copyright every individual report, but they must have some overall protection. What would they have filed with the copyright office?