Stay Safe on KDP: Copyright, Trademarks & AI
Check titles, keywords, art and AI use before you publish, so your books and your account stay safe.
Most KDP takedowns are avoidable: a brand name in a keyword, a cartoon character redrawn for a coloring page, clip art from a web search, or the AI question answered wrong. This course explains the difference between copyright and trademark, walks through the free USPTO Trademark Search step by step, and covers KDP's own rules for metadata, public domain books and AI-generated content, with screenshots of each official page. A built-in checker flags common brand and character names in your title and keywords. This course explains published rules and free tools; it is not legal advice.
What you get
- 6 short lessons with screenshots of KDP's rules and the USPTO Trademark Search
- Copyright vs trademark in plain words
- How to search a word in the official US trademark database and read live vs dead marks
- Risky word checker for titles, subtitles and keywords
- Characters, clip art, fonts and covers: what is safe to use
- Public domain in 2026 and KDP's differentiation rules
- AI-generated vs AI-assisted: what to tell KDP
- 5-minute pre-publish IP checklist
Questions
Is this legal advice?
No. It explains KDP's published rules and how to use free public tools. For anything important, talk to an IP attorney.
Does the checker catch every trademark?
No. It flags common brand and character names that often cause problems. Always check brand-like words in USPTO Trademark Search.
Does it cover countries outside the US?
It focuses on the US. Copyright terms and trademarks differ by country, and the course points this out where it matters.
Is it included in the membership?
Yes. All-Access members get this course and every new course we add.