Visual elements are the soul of a book—especially in children’s literature, fantasy, graphic novels, and branded series. American Author Board ensures every drawing, cover, and character you commission or create is legally protected from day one. We handle the filings and contracts so you own the art outright and can license it later without disputes.

Illustration Copyright Service: Full Ownership of Every Visual Creation

A stunning cover or interior artwork can sell your book before a single word is read, but if the rights aren’t secured properly, someone else can profit from it. Our illustration copyright service registers every visual element—covers, characters, spot illustrations, and full spreads—with the U.S. Copyright Office under your name or imprint.

Whether you drew it yourself or hired an artist, we file the correct forms (VA for visual arts) and bundle multiple pieces into one cost-effective registration. For hired work, we draft strong work-for-hire agreements that transfer all commercial rights to you the moment payment clears—no loopholes, no future claims. This is essential to protect book illustrations in children’s titles, cookbooks, memoirs with photos, or any project where art plays a central role.

Registration typically completes in 3–8 months, and once approved, you hold exclusive rights for your lifetime plus 70 years. Authors who skipped this step have lost licensing deals because the artist later claimed ownership. With our service, you can confidently pitch merchandise, foreign editions, or animated adaptations knowing the artwork is 100% yours. We make children’s book artwork copyright simple and secured: send the files, sign the agreement, and we handle the rest.

Character IP Portfolio: Turn Characters into Assets

Iconic characters can outlive the book itself—think licensing for toys, games, apparel, or spin-off media. Our character IP protection builds a legal fortress around your recurring heroes, villains, creatures, and mascots so they become valuable, licensable properties.

We register key visual depictions through copyright (VA filings) and, when the character has a distinctive name or look used in commerce, secure federal trademarks through the USPTO. This dual-layer approach—register fictional characters via copyright for the artwork and trademark for the name/logo—prevents copycats and opens revenue streams.

For example, a dragon with a unique name and consistent design across a series can be trademarked like Pokémon or Harry Potter house crests. Our character trademark service includes searching existing marks, filing applications, and responding to office actions until approval. We also create a clean portfolio document that agents, studios, and licensees love to see—proof of ownership in one place. Fantasy and children’s authors routinely tell us this step turned a single book deal into six-figure merchandising income. Whether you have one breakout star or an entire universe, we structure the protection to scale with your ambitions.

Your visual properties deserve the same full-proof security as your words. With proper illustration copyrights and character trademarks in place, you eliminate future disputes, maximize licensing potential, and turn art into lasting income. American Author Board manages every filing and contract with precision—one secure upload, one flat fee, total peace of mind. Protect your creations the right way.