help my friend out~ is there anything that can be done?

my friend was planning to sell a book(well actually he only gave people the idea that he was going to sell it, he never said he was selling it or that he was making money; he sort of phrased so that it sounded like he was selling it, but he never actually said he was) that the author himself failed to claim that the book was copyrighted, and in the legal disclaimer.

he wrote something that may have told the reader that the book was not copyrighted.

My friend had no intention of selling the book(it was merely for made to annoy the author) but he like most people were unaware the book was copyrighted (had he been told, he wouldnt of done it)

The author has now threathened legal action, because he claims were selling his book which he has now revealed to us is copyrighted. is there any thing we can do?

[annjd]

Almost any written work is copyrighted unless expressly stated otherwise.

So you cannot sell it. Just stop and no suit is likely to be filed.