How to Get Copyrighted

You've finally done it; you've penned your first novel, poem or short story. Now, you must copyright your original creative material so that nobody else can claim authorship of your work. It's easier than you think. Copyrighting your written work is a straightforward procedure that any author can do without the help of an attorney.

Instructions

1. Type or write your original piece of literature. Under the United States Constitution, your work is copyrighted the minute it is put into a tangible form, on paper or on a computer.

2. Document your creative process by keeping a dated hard copy of each major draft. This step is optional, but can help to prove when you started developing your piece.

3. Put your name on each page of your manuscript. Date the final form of your literary product at the time of its completion, and keep hard and soft copies of it.

4. Register your copyrighted material. Although registration is not required, it may come in handy if you need to file a lawsuit, in the unlikely event that your work is stolen or plagiarized. A registered copyright is on public record, and can be used as prima facie evidence in court. You may register your copyright online at the United States Copyright Office's website. (See Resources below).

Tips & Warnings

• Copyright protection is afforded to all written creative works such as movie scripts, lyrics, novels or poems, as well as architecture and computer software.

• The idea of mailing a copy of your work to yourself to invoke copyright protection is not recognized under current copyright law. The proper mode of protection would be to register your copyright.

Resources

• U.S. Copyright Office