Is there a site available for authors to investigate whether the title they want to use for their new novel is already published by another author? If not, what's the typical protocol recommended as to avoid any legal pitfalls?
Thanks!
Thanks!
I guess if you write your title into a search box, it will show something or other whether it's already been used or not.
But titles of books and songs aren't copyrighted. My own book is the name of a song from the early 1980s.
Elodie
But titles of books and songs aren't copyrighted. My own book is the name of a song from the early 1980s.
Elodie
I check potential titles on Amazon to see if they've been used recently. But that's to avoid confusion over similar titles, not for legal reasons--Elodie-Caroline is right, titles aren't copyrighted.
It has happened that different publishers have released books with the same title at the same time: "Forbidden" was one that came out as a historical romance and a comtemporaty romance within weeks of each other.
Avoid the really well-known ones and check Amazon, to avoid confusing the readers, but there are no legal reasons not to use "Gone with the Wind".
Avoid the really well-known ones and check Amazon, to avoid confusing the readers, but there are no legal reasons not to use "Gone with the Wind".
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Unless you're self-publishing, chances are the title you like won't appear on the book anyway. Most publishers want the final say on a title after their marketing gurus study the innards of a few chickens, mutter incantations and throw darts at a list of the finalists.