Copyright???

[Smith]

I'm currently producing a No-budget indie film in the UK... the final draft of the script is almost ready and we need some way of copyrighting it, i've heard of websites that "store" scripts for a small price to provide proof of who owns the script. But I have no idea which sites are credable.

Can anyone recommend the best, cheap way of protecting the script?

Many thanks,
Smith

 

[cibao]

It's not very expensive to copyright something. Check the UK's copyright office, and do it that way, as that's really the only way to go. The websites could help if someone steals it, but a legitimate copyright is much more solid.

Chris

 

[directorik]

The Intellectual Property Office of the United Kindgom (often
UKIPO) is the official government body responsible for
intellectual property rights in the UK.

http://www.ipo.gov.uk/

 

[Brooksy]

You can seal it in an envelope and mail it to yourself. We call it a poor man's copyright. While not the most professional way. it still gets the job done.

 

[directorik]

According to the official copyright website (copyright.gov):
“The practice of sending a copy of your own work to
yourself is sometimes called a poor man’s copyright.
There is no provision in the copyright law regarding
any such type of protection, and it is not a substitute
for registration.”

Type "poorman's copyright" into Google and you'll find
several hundred articles written about this. Use it if
you must, but use it knowing the facts.

http://www.snopes.com/legal/postmark.asp
Poor-man’s copyright.

http://www.legalzoom.com/articles/article_content/article13787.html

Try this yourself:

Take a blank envelope and write your own address on it.
DO NOT SEAL THE ENVELOPE. Mail the envelope to
yourself. In May 2011, when a new big hit movie comes
out, pick up a copy of the script, scan it into your
screenwriting software, change some stuff around, print
it and put it into the envelope with the June 2009 date
and THEN seal it.

You now have an envelope posted in June 2009 with your
work version of the script that is AMAZINGLY similar to the
version in the theaters. Any well paid copyright lawyer can
poke holes in the “poorman’s copyright”. Is it really worth
saving $30?

 

[indietalk]

You can seal it in an envelope and mail it to yourself. We call it a poor man's copyright. While not the most professional way. it still gets the job done.

Unfortunately this is bad advice that gets passed to all new writers.

 

[sebbyp]

Here in Australia once you have something written down, its officially recognized as being copyrighted, and will stand up in court

ah Australia *loving sigh*

 

[directorik]

Here in Australia once you have something written down, its officially recognized as being copyrighted, and will stand up in court

ah Australia *loving sigh*

Here in the states once you have something written down, it's
officially recognized as being copyrighted. But without an officially
recognized date, it's very difficult to prove the date of copyright.

Let's say you write down your script in July and send it to a
producer. It's officially recognized as being copyrighted but there
is no official date. That producer copies it in September, spends
the money and "officially" copyrights the script under his name.
Do you know how an Australian court can determine who is the
official owner?

 

[indietalk]

Here in Australia once you have something written down, its officially recognized as being copyrighted, and will stand up in court

ah Australia *loving sigh*

Of course if you write something original, you own it, and the copyright. What the gov't offers is a registration of your copyright.

 

[Thunderclap]

In the US it's something around $35 to copyright a script. I don't know how much it is in the UK but I'd recommend ponying up the cash to do it. It could save you a lot of headache down the road.

 

[sebbyp]

Here in the states once you have something written down, it's
officially recognized as being copyrighted. But without an officially
recognized date, it's very difficult to prove the date of copyright.

Let's say you write down your script in July and send it to a
producer. It's officially recognized as being copyrighted but there
is no official date. That producer copies it in September, spends
the money and "officially" copyrights the script under his name.
Do you know how an Australian court can determine who is the
official owner?

I've heard of cases when people go to get it "dated" somewhere official. For instance, going to the police station and getting them to stamp it with the date to prove it. Or even sending it in an envelope to yourself. But I think that's a little outdated now.

 

[Blade_Jones]

Here in the states once you have something written down, it's
officially recognized as being copyrighted. But without an officially
recognized date, it's very difficult to prove the date of copyright.

Save it on more than one hard drive, floppy disc, then store.
Library of Congress is best. Don't use the Writer's Guild. I kid you not..... They DESTROY the copy you send them after 5 years (!!!!!) unless you remember to renew. Once you renew you're spending more than it would have cost to use the LOC.

 

[directorik]

I've heard of cases when people go to get it "dated" somewhere official. For instance, going to the police station and getting them to stamp it with the date to prove it. Or even sending it in an envelope to yourself. But I think that's a little outdated now.

Since the police have no jurisdiction over copyright, having
a piece of paper stamped with a date at a police station won't
hold up in court. You can imagine how easy it would be to
have the title page stamped with a date and then change
all the pages of the script. Or convincing an officer to stamp
each page of a script. And you've read my post on mailing a
copy to yourself so you know that isn't just "outdated" it
doesn't hold up in court.

When I read these posts about copyright I'm always left
wondering why some people are resistant to using the official
method. It's kind of ironic that so many new writers are
worried about their ideas being stolen, but when it comes to
registering the copyright on the expression of the the idea
they start looking for ways to save a a little money.

 

[Gonzo_Entertainment]

To bring in the tangent of CELTX, or email even, an electronically dated copy will hold up in court. Proof the script was stored on a server, email records, etc... The better (IMO) version of a poor man's copyright would be emailing it to yourself or someone else. Those email records can be obtained from the ISP.

 

[sonnyboo]

Or even sending it in an envelope to yourself. But I think that's a little outdated now.

That's a myth that the Office of Copyright and Trademark in the U.S. has dispelled. This will NOT stand up in court.