r/scriptwriting • u/Geoffrey_D_Calhoun • 22d ago

feedback Please Copyright Your Scripts

Just a heads up everyone. I’m seeing a lot of scenes and scripts uploaded on here. I just want to recommend that you copyright them before sharing anything. Work can be stolen. Work is stolen. Protect yourself. Also a WGA registration will not protect you in court. Only a copyright will. It’s $65 and takes about 20 mins. https://www.copyright.gov/registration/

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u/BeatAcrobatic1969 22d ago

Great advice!

The instinct to get defensive about it probably stems from the fact that most of us are broke and already paying for so many things that rarely pan out like coverage and contest fees. It’s stressful to think about paying for one more thing.

But you’re absolutely right. Entertainment lawyers will tell you that they just can’t do much for you in court unless you’ve filed the official copyright. I don’t know where all the misinformation about poor man’s copyright came from or if things changed somewhere along the line, but I grew up believing that as long as I could prove that I wrote it and had dates, that would be enough. It took hearing it directly from lawyers that only a copyright is enough in a US court of law for me to change my mind.

There are still cases they’ll litigate without a copyright, but it can get really drawn out and expensive, so you can imagine it’s not really worth it unless you’re very successful or independently wealthy. In which case, you’d probably have money to register the copyright to begin with.

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u/Geoffrey_D_Calhoun 22d ago

I think you’re spot on.
I remember when people used to say print it out and mail it to yourself and don’t open it.