Piracy Toolkit


Piracy is the illegal publishing and/or distribution of copyrighted works and a serious issue all authors face. However, there are steps and strategies our members can take not only to protect against the theft of their work, but to empower themselves in the fight against piracy.

The Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) is a US law that provides copyright owners with a process to request their work be removed when illegally published on or distributed via the internet. While filing a DMCA takedown notice is a straightforward process, finding the appropriate place to submit to can sometimes be a challenge.

Registering a copyright gives authors tremendous intellectual property protection, and RWA encourages its members to register their work with the US Library of Congress. More information on copyright registration can be found here.

Disclaimer: The information presented here is provided for informational purposes only and should not be construed as legal advice on any subject matter. You should not act or refrain from acting on the basis of any content included in this site without seeking legal or other professional advice.