You just finished your book. The cover looks perfect. The inside pages feel good in your hands. But wait—there’s one small but mighty part you need to get right: the copyright disclaimer. Getting this little chunk of text wrong could put you at risk. Getting it right helps keep your hard work safe.
Many new authors skip over this step or copy text from another book without thinking about it. This can lead to big problems down the road. Your book needs its own proper copyright protection, one that fits what you wrote and how you plan to share it with readers.
Let’s look at 15 copyright disclaimers that you can use or change to fit your book. Each one serves a different need, so pick the one that works best for you.
Sample Copyright Disclaimers for Books
Here are clear, helpful examples you can use to protect your writing work.
1. Basic Fiction Book Disclaimer
“Copyright © [Year] by [Author Name]. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or copied in any way without written permission from the publisher, except for brief quotes in reviews or articles.”
This simple disclaimer works well for most fiction books. It tells readers they can’t copy your story without asking first. The short length makes it easy to fit on your copyright page without taking up too much space. This works best for novels, short stories, and other creative works where you want full protection.
2. Non-Fiction With Citations Allowed
“Copyright © [Year] by [Author Name]. All rights reserved. Teachers and researchers may quote short passages for academic papers and classroom use with proper citation. All other uses need written permission from the publisher.”
Perfect for textbooks, history books, or any non-fiction where you want to allow students and teachers to use small parts. This lets people quote your facts in school papers while still keeping control of larger chunks of text. Add this if you wrote your book hoping it would be used in schools or colleges.
3. Self-Published Author Disclaimer
“Copyright © [Year] by [Your Name]. All rights reserved. This book is self-published by the author. No part may be copied without permission except for short quotes in reviews. For permission requests, contact: [your email].”
When you publish your own book, this disclaimer makes it clear that you own all rights. The contact info makes it easy for people to ask permission if they want to use parts of your book. Self-published authors benefit from adding their contact details since they don’t have a publishing company handling these requests.
4. Children’s Book Protection
“Copyright © [Year] by [Author Name]. Illustrations copyright © [Year] by [Illustrator Name]. All rights reserved. No copying or sharing without written permission. This book may not be used for commercial reading events without the author’s consent.”
Children’s books often have both an author and an illustrator. This disclaimer protects both the words and pictures. It also stops people from using your book for paid story time events without asking you first. Use this if you created a picture book with another artist.
5. Shared Creative Commons License
“Copyright © [Year] by [Author Name]. This work is licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0. You may share and adapt this work for non-commercial purposes with attribution to the author. Commercial uses require permission. For full license terms: creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/”
This more open disclaimer lets people share your work as long as they don’t make money from it and they give you credit. Good for books you want to spread widely, like free guides or books that promote your business. This works when you care more about getting your ideas out than making money from every copy.
6. Strong Protection for Series
“Copyright © [Year] by [Author Name]. All rights reserved worldwide. No part of this book or series, including characters, plot elements, and settings, may be used, copied, or adapted without written permission. [Series Name] and all related characters are trademarks of [Author/Publisher].”
For authors writing a series with unique characters that might become popular, this disclaimer adds extra protection. It makes it clear that your characters and story world belong to you. This helps if you plan to write many books with the same characters or hope to sell movie or TV rights someday.
7. Book With Bonus Digital Content
“Copyright © [Year] by [Author Name]. All rights reserved. Both printed content and linked digital materials are protected by copyright. Access codes for online content are for single-user use only and may not be shared. For permission requests: [contact info].”
Many books now come with codes for websites or downloadable extras. This disclaimer protects both the paper book and the digital stuff that goes with it. It tells readers they can’t share their online access codes with friends. Use this for workbooks, textbooks, or any book with digital extras.
8. Public Domain Source Material Use
“Copyright © [Year] by [Author Name]. While this work contains public domain material, the author’s unique selection, arrangement, and added content are protected by copyright. Original public domain sources are noted in the references section.”
If your book uses old stories, facts, or other stuff that’s free for anyone to use, this disclaimer makes it clear which parts are yours. This works for fairy tale retellings, books that quote classic literature, or history books that use very old sources. It helps readers know what they can and can’t reuse.
9. Poetry Collection Disclaimer
“Copyright © [Year] by [Author Name]. All rights reserved. Each poem in this collection is the intellectual property of the author. Permission for public readings must be obtained from the publisher except for non-commercial educational settings.”
Poetry gets read aloud more often than other types of writing. This disclaimer allows teachers and students to read your poems in class but requires others to ask first. This balances protection with allowing your poetry to be shared in educational ways. Perfect for poetry books used in schools or by poetry groups.
10. Disclaimer With Fair Use Statement
“Copyright © [Year] by [Author Name]. All rights reserved. Fair use of this work is allowed for criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, and research as defined by U.S. Copyright Law. All other uses require permission.”
This disclaimer mentions “fair use,” which lets people use small parts of your work for specific purposes without asking. Adding this shows you know about copyright law while still keeping your rights. This works well for books that might be discussed in classes or book clubs.
11. International Rights Protection
“Copyright © [Year] by [Author Name]. All rights reserved in all countries. This work is protected by copyright laws in the United States and through international treaties worldwide. Unauthorized use in any country is prohibited.”
For books that might sell in many countries, this disclaimer makes it clear that your rights apply worldwide. Even if the copyright rules are different in other places, this tells readers you claim all possible protections. Use this if you plan to sell your book in other countries or online where anyone can buy it.
12. Anthology With Multiple Authors
“Copyright © [Year] by [Editor/Publisher]. Individual selections copyright © [Year] by their respective authors as listed in the Acknowledgments. All rights reserved. No part of this anthology may be reproduced without permission from both the publisher and the specific author(s).”
If your book contains work by many different writers, this disclaimer protects everyone’s rights. It makes it clear that each writer still owns their own piece, even though the collection as a whole belongs to the editor or publisher. Use this for short story collections, essay books, or poetry anthologies with multiple contributors.
13. Book Based On True Events
“Copyright © [Year] by [Author Name]. All rights reserved. This is a work based on real events, but certain names, details, and timelines have been changed. Any similarities to actual persons beyond those explicitly mentioned are coincidental. Historical facts are not subject to copyright, but the author’s expression and presentation of these facts are protected.”
For books that tell real stories with some creative changes, this disclaimer helps protect you from people claiming you stole their life story. It also makes it clear that while facts aren’t copyrightable, your specific way of telling them is. This works for memoirs, historical fiction, or “based on a true story” books.
14. Limited Permission For Book Clubs
“Copyright © [Year] by [Author Name]. All rights reserved. Book clubs and reading groups may copy and share the discussion questions on pages [X-Y] for group use only. All other content requires permission to reproduce.”
If your book includes discussion questions or activities at the back, this disclaimer lets reading groups copy just those pages. This makes your book more useful for book clubs while still protecting the main text. This works especially well for fiction or non-fiction books that want to build a community of readers.
15. Comprehensive Protection With Registered Copyright
“Copyright © [Year] by [Author Name]. All rights reserved. This work is protected by U.S. Copyright Registration Number [TX 000-000]. No part may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form by any means without prior written permission. For permissions, contact: [publisher info]. First Edition: [Month, Year]. Printed in the United States of America.”
This heavy-duty disclaimer shows you’ve officially registered your copyright with the government, which gives you extra legal protection. It spells out that people can’t save or share digital copies either. Use this for valuable books that might face piracy or when you want the strongest possible protection.
Wrapping Up
Copyright disclaimers might look small on the page, but they carry big power to protect your hard work. The right disclaimer sets clear boundaries for how others can use your writing. It sends a message that you value what you’ve created enough to put proper protection in place.
The samples above give you starting points that you can adjust to fit your specific book. You might need to talk with a publishing expert or lawyer to get the exact wording right for your situation. The small cost of getting professional advice could save you from bigger problems later on.
Your words matter. Your stories, ideas, and knowledge deserve proper protection. Take the time to put a proper copyright disclaimer in your book—it’s one of the smartest things you can do as an author.