What do I do to copyright my ebook?

Would scanning books or magazines to be converted into an eBook or eMagazine violate any copyright laws?

• Answer:

  The answer to this question lies within the copyright restrictions placed on a book or magazine by the publisher. In most cases, the answer would be yes. Some publishers might grant you permission to make a copy for your own purposes, but, since material in digital form is easily copied and distributed, it is unlikely they would do so without a very good reason on your part. For example, from a magazine picked at random from those on my desk: "All contents copyright 2005 by <publisher>. They may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form, or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or any information storage or retrieval system, without written permission from the publisher."