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Legal & Content Guidelines Program Policies Intellectual Property Rights Frequently Asked QuestionsThe KDP Terms and Conditions and Content Guidelines require that you hold the publishing rights to any content you upload for sale on Amazon. Uploading or attempting to upload any content for which you do not have rights can result in the rejection or removal of your book, negative impact to your account status, and/or loss of royalties.
This page provides information about intellectual property (IP) rights and common IP concerns that might arise when publishing your books through KDP. This is not legal advice. You should consult a lawyer if you have a specific question about your IP rights or the IP rights of others.
Amazon respects the intellectual property of others. If you believe that your work has been copied in a way that constitutes copyright infringement, please follow the notice and procedure for the Amazon site where you identified the infringement:
What is a copyright?
A copyright protects original works of authorship, such as videos, movies, songs, books, musicals, video games, paintings, etc. Generally, copyright law is meant to incentivize the creation of original works of authorship for the benefit of the public. If someone is the author of an original work, then they typically own the copyright in that work.
What is a trademark?
A trademark is a word, symbol, or design (such as a stylized brand name or logo) that a company uses to identify its goods or services and to distinguish them from other companies' goods and services. In other words, a trademark indicates the source of goods or services. Generally, trademark laws exist to prevent customer confusion about the source of goods or services.
Should I include a copyright page in my book(s)?
Amazon does not require you to include a copyright page. If you would like your book to have a copyright page, you must incorporate it into your content file.
In some cases, when you submit your book for publication through KDP, we may request additional documentation to confirm that you hold publishing rights to books you are attempting to publish before the book can be made available for sale. If your content has been previously published in whole or in part, or created by someone other than yourself, you may want to gather any relevant documentation prior to submission in case it is requested.
Below you'll find some of the most frequently asked questions about validating publishing rights.
I'm the author and I previously published my book. What documentation should I send if KDP asks that I confirm my rights?
Please review the following scenarios to determine which one applies to you:
You may maintain only one account at a time. If you have more than one account, to validate your rights, please close account(s) as necessary or contact KDP Customer Service for help merging your accounts, so that your book is only published through one account.
Please review the following scenarios to determine which one applies to you:
To confirm you hold rights to a print or digital edition, provide an email from the email address listed on the previous publisher’s official website or a signed copy of the previous publisher’s agreement indicating that they do not hold publishing rights in the format in which you’re trying to publish through KDP.
The copyright page included in the book content is not sufficient to prove that you hold the necessary publishing rights.
Can you review rights documentation for a book I am about to submit for publication so that I do not have to provide it later on?
At this time, we are unable to accept documentation unless we request it. Upon submission of your book, we will contact you if we need additional information.
How long does it take for you to review documentation?
Once we receive the documentation, we usually respond within five business days.
How long does it take for my book to be made available for sale after you have completed review of my documentation?
Once your book has been approved, please allow up to 48 hours for the detail page to appear on Amazon.