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Navigating copyright can be complex, especially when it comes to creative works and e-reading. The below article covers the basics and provides guidance on various copyright-related topics. For more detailed information, please follow the links to related articles. You may find an overview of the topic 🔗HERE.

What is Copyright exactly?Copyright is a legal concept that gives creators control over the use of their original works. Copyright applies to original literary, dramatic, musical, and artistic works that are in a fixed material form (i.e., written, recorded) and means that a copyright owner has

a) the sole right to produce or reproduce that work or a substantial part of it in any material,
b) the sole right to perform that work or any substantial part of it in public
c) if the work is unpublished, the right to publish it or any substantial part of it

Copyright only protects the physical representation of an idea, not the idea itself. Unfortunately, similar plots, story themes, and titles are not enough to constitute a copyright infringement. This is why there are so many stories and movies that are very similar to each other.

You may read what is considered a copyright infringement 🔗HERE.

How Wattpad deals with copyright
Wattpad takes copyright infringement very seriously. Users are not permitted to post stories they do not own unless they have legal permission from the owner and can provide evidence when requested. Your work is automatically protected under Copyright Law as soon you put it into a fixed format, like writing it down. There are several copyright license options that you can select when posting a story on Wattpad, and you can find them in 🔗THIS article.

You can read more about how Wattpad protects your stories 🔗HERE, and you can read about what happens when a story is removed for copyright 🔗HERE.

Reporting copyright infringements
Using someone else's work without permission can lead to serious legal consequences. To process the case correctly, it's important to know how you, as the reporter, are related to the work reported. Depending on your situation, please read the articles below. You can also find a compiled overview of this information 🔗HERE.

◘ 🔗Reporting work on Wattpad if you are the owner - You can report content you find on Wattpad that you believe has violated your copyrights. Be sure to be the actual owner of the work, then report it to Wattpad by submitting a DMCA takedown Notice.

◘ 🔗Reporting copyright infringements located outside of Wattpad - If you're the owner and someone has posted your original Wattpad story or image onto another website, you are entitled to submit a copyright report on that said website. Wattpad cannot report on your behalf but can provide you with some helpful information on how you can report it yourself.

◘ 🔗Reporting 'published' content if you are not the owner - You can report a 'published' work that you do not own that has been copied onto Wattpad. At Wattpad, 'published work' refers to any books/comics/audiobooks that have an ISBN, ASIN, or equivalent, and any Wattpad Original or WEBTOON Original. 'Published work' also refers to movies, television shows, or video games, and it is a copyright infringement to copy the events or dialogue and upload it to Wattpad.

◘ 🔗Reporting 'non-published' content on Wattpad - You can report 'non-published' work that you find on Wattpad that you do not own, and you are unsure whether it infringes copyright. Wattpad will check out the alleged infringement for you. At Wattpad, 'non-published' refers to any content that does not have an ISBN, ASIN, or equivalent. This may include content posted on other platforms or websites such as AO3, Tumblr, Inkitt, Radish, and fanfiction.net.

◘ 🔗Reporting to the original Wattpad copyright owner - You can report infringements of Wattpad stories on the platform directly to the original owner's Wattpad account. This does not generate a report to the Wattpad Copyright Team, but will instead send an automated private message to the Wattpad user that provides them with all the information they need, including the link to the allegedly infringing story, to learn more about copyright and report it themselves. Don't worry; it's anonymous, so the user won't know who brought it to their attention.

◘ 🔗Counter-response for incorrect copyright removal - If you have received a DMCA Take-down Notification email, one or more of your works have been deleted from Wattpad at the request of someone who claims to own a copyright infringed by the removed content. If you believe that the content was removed in error, you have the option to file a counter-notice.

The gray area in adaptations, translations, and fanfiction
While Wattpad supports writers' creativity and expression through their stories, users are strictly prohibited from posting the copyrighted works of others without their explicit legal consent. We understand that there are places that can seem like a bit of a gray area in certain situations, but it is important to protect and respect the copyrights of storytellers on and off the platform.

If you are ever unsure whether you are allowed to use someone's content, always contact the original owner and ask for their explicit consent. It is always better to ask than assume.

🔗Can I use their work/story/content?

Adaptations and translations
A story adaptation is a work that is based on, or derived from, one or more already existing works in accordance with the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA). This means that only the original writer/artist can adapt or give someone permission to create an adaptation of their work. Translations, rewrites, sequels, or transcriptions are all examples of adaptations that need permission to publish.

Adding notations, such as 'all rights reserved to the original author,' 'story does not belong to me', or 'non-profit,' in the story description or the story itself is not enough and your adaptation can still be taken down. Changing the names and/or gender of the main characters also still infringes on the original author's copyright

Fanfiction
Fanfiction is a genre of writing where fans of an original work - such as a book, movie, TV show, video game, or any other form of media - create their own stories using the characters, settings, and plot elements from the original. These stories can explore new adventures, relationships, or alternate universes, often expanding on the original source in creative and imaginative ways. Fanfiction writers use the source material as a foundation for their stories, but they do not adapt the original works, which makes a distinct difference between whether the story is considered "fanfiction" or an "adaptation." You can read more about the difference between adaptation and fanfiction in this article:

🔗Infringing adaptations and fanfiction

It is a copyright infringement to rewrite a source material and upload it to Wattpad without permission from the original owner. This includes using direct dialogue from a movie or TV show script. It is also still a copyright infringement to use TV/film/game content and change or add characters or locations, as well as to rewrite its unique events or dialogue on Wattpad. Rewriting source material or simply adding to it is not fanfiction.

We encourage you to check out 🔗Wattpad's official Fanfic profile to learn more about the fanfiction genre and how to write it properly.

Song lyrics and spoken quotes
While it is common for individuals to include existing song lyrics in their stories, there is always a risk that the original copyright owner will submit a DMCA takedown notice to have it removed. We highly recommend that if you are going to include them in your story, to give proper attribution (credit) to the copyright owner. But do please note that while it is rare for the original copyright owner to report these cases, it does happen from time to time so even if you give credit, the author has the right to submit a DMCA takedown notice.

It is about the respect and rights of others
By understanding and respecting the copyright guidelines, you can help ensure that your work and the work of others are respected and protected on Wattpad. Upholding and protecting people's copyrights fosters a safe and creative community where original content thrives, and authors feel secure in sharing their creations.

Remember, a community that values others' rights not only honors the hard work of its members but also encourages the growth of new and innovative storytelling. Always strive to support your fellow writers in maintaining the integrity of their work, and they'll do the same for you!