Simply mail it to yourself. I'm no expert (I've never sold a screenplay), so take this with a grain of salt, but I've been told time and time again by people who have worked in the industry, that to actually have it copyrighted by the US Copyright Office is a no-no, as producers and production companies don't want to touch copyrighted material.
But like I said, I don't know this from experience, but only by what I've been told by those with experience.
Mailing it to yourself does nothing except to prove you mailed it to yourself.
Under copyright law, once you write something, you can affix "(c) 20xx, First M. Lastname" and have your worked protected by copyright. The process of registration simply gives you a formalized "birth certificate", if you will.
Most producers and agents say they don't want to see a copyright notice on a script because it signals the writer is an amateur. Most entertainment lawyers will argue you should have it on there. Other industry professionals will say that while you shouldn't display a copyright mark, it's okay to list if it's registered with the Writer's Guild. The industry provides mixed messages. Personally, if you submit anything to someone, it should be protected by some form of registration.
The Writer's Guild registration IS NOT the same as copyright. Non-writers often don't understand its value. While the Writer's Guild registration only lasts for five years, you can obtain a registration number almost instantly, it is inexpensive, and provides comparable protection for submission with flexibility in changes to the script. It DOES NOT afford you any additional protection of rights BUT those are already present. However, they do provide you with a certificate, a paper trail of ownership.
If you go through the copyright submission process with the Library of Congress, it can be a long process. It is only slightly more expensive, but you have ALL of your rights PROTECTED. If your script is optioned or bought, the studio will require you to transfer most or all of your copyright to them. That isn't required with a Writer's Guild registration which is basically a legally recognized "time-date stamp".
This has been discussed before and some on this forum strongly believe you should just always copyright your scripts. And if you are the writer and director, I completely agree. If you are simply a screenwriter looking to get your script read, the WGA registration can be quick and efficient. Since you already have "copyright" by act of creation, the process is essentially the same as copyright registration. The number can be affixed to your title page without too much concern. Even without registering your copyright with the Library of Congress, under the 1978 Berne Copyright Convention, your rights are protected whether you affix the copyright symbol or not. You simply need proof of authorship. Here is where recordkeeping is important. Registering makes that process easier. And nowadays, the computer's time-date stamp on your files greatly facilitates proving precedence. Prior to computers, the only "time-date stamp" was the post office. And prior to 1978, if you didn't put a copyright notice on your piece, it wasn't protected. That is no longer the case.
As your script will undoubtedly go through multiple re-writes, this isn't an issue for WGA registered materials unless significant changes are made. Technically, with copyright, you need to re-register it when more than 15% of the content has changed. Copyright protects the words, not the ideas. If the script does get optioned/purchased, the director/producer will want to purchase their own copyright for the performance. Before they do that, they will want rights to the script.
Again, I know that others have strongly argued to get full copyright. Most of these are writer/directors. For writers, most of us are hoping to shift our script off to someone else before the end of five years. For the writer who is not producing their own script, we already have full copyright, and WGA registration just provides a "time-date stamp". It simply reduces the burden of transferring copyright records when the script is purchased. If a script is being optioned,
do not unconditionally transfer full copyright. You can grant rights for adaptation and performance. Otherwise, if the option falls through, you no longer own the copyright and cannot re-option your own script!
While the WGA does not retain the script after five years, YOU retain the certificate they sent which SHOWS it was registered on a certain date. That along with your computer time-date stamps (as you make significant revisions, keep separate computer files) will help should you need to pursue a lawsuit. Even with regular copyright, you would need the same records. Keep your certificate (WGA or Copyright) with a copy of the submitted script. And I might even, when I'm really finished with a script, burn all the revisions to a CD and include that in the package. Now I have a complete history of my creation documented and time-stamped. This pertains more to screenwriters than to writer/directors.
BEFORE YOU SHARE ANY FINISHED SCRIPT FOR PRODUCTION, be sure it is registered for your protection, whether WGA or with the Copyright Office at the Library of Congress. To be clear, for the
indie filmmakers out there who are writing and filming their own scripts,
copyright registration IS your best option. For
scriptwriters only, the
WGA registration is often sufficient to protect your work as you market it. The act of creation grants copyright and its protections. Enforcement requires diligence and recordkeeping.
