Screenwriting : Registering your script by Renato Fuly

Thanks for the info. Since you are a fellow screenwriter, I wanted to ask you about beat boards and other tools mentioned in books and blogs. I have a clear idea where I want to take my story and how to get there. If I think of dialog improvements or other ideas I just take nots within the script. I have taken some classes on scriptwriting, but no teacher ever mentioned those tools as part of the creative process. What is our take on that?

Renato

Unless the competition asks you to register before submission then you don't NEED to register it anywhere, but if you're going to register it, avoid the WGA as it's really not worth the money, instead look at the US Copyright Office.

I don’t register my scripts. I have a record to who sees it.

I do all my drafts and my read through and I share it with a script reader that I trust and after that feedback. I make additional changes based on their suggestions and than I register it. Keep in mind each draft you register is $25 dollars with the WGA and than I submit to competitions.

Skip the WGA and copyright it. Copyright will cover all the bases.

Why do you feel it necessary to 'register' your script anywhere?

Doug. A lot of time goes into putting a script together as I am sure you know. For me, it is extra security in case an unethical producer tries to take it as their own. I have come close to having some stuff produced but I am still to new to know everyone in the industry.

Everyone (most) have heard this before. The minute you create it, it is protected by copyright. Registering it is just a stick in the ground, a public statement of a time and date. If I can prove that I have sent it to someone, that I have created the work, it is I can defend it.

It doesn’t matter if you register it, if you don’t defend it in court.

I should have said in the other post. I do not register the shorts because they are not long enough and a waste of money. I posted hidden a couple days ago, it is only one page, so I am not going to spend money on competitions or registering it. It will be submitted to free competitions.

Tim, sounds to me like you're suffering from what I call new writer paranoia It will bring you to your knees and needlessly burden you as you attempt to master screenwriting. I can go into a long monologue about why your fears are totally unfounded but then there will be another new writer tomorrow with the same question. Tim, just realize that it's a non issue, get over it and press on. There are lots of paranoid no-account writers out there who will gladly stoke your fears but they are bogged down by their own irrational fears. You want to take advice from them?

Doug: As I said before. I am fairly new but even if I was a veteran. I would still dot my "I"s and cross my "T"s.

LOC registration is a relatively tiny upfront cost which can be quickly processed and doesn't just mean you can easier defend copyright of your script in court, if need be, it also means you can provide the paper work often needed by any union signatory purchasing ownership of your work.

To be frank, if you are trying to do business with any reputable production company, in this day and age, and you haven't gone through this process to protect both you and them, you're going to look like a bit of a clown.

I keep seeing long screeds about how work is protected in other ways. That's missing the point. Organisations like SAG-ATFRA just want their paper trail cleared up to show they have done their due-diligence and aren't liable.

You are literally putting a production in jeopardy, if you don't have your ducks in a row. Imagine what an absolute fool you're going to look like if a shoot gets shutdown days before filming because your SAG rep is tying up loose ends and your producer can't prove they own the script.

People are paranoid and the paranoia is only getting worse but there's no benefit in fighting against it.

Hi, Renato. For a spec, I wait and register a claim of copyright with the LOC until I have a polished draft, which means going through several until it is market-ready. Remember, you already have copyright the very second you create a fixed work, i.e., a screenplay. You do not need to register to have copyright—the LOC clearly explains this. However, you cannot bring a lawsuit without registration. Professionally speaking, registering with the LOC is expected and common practice in the industry, and it is often required for all submissions. Therefore, not doing so is problematic for a whole host of reasons. Personally speaking, if you are not a member of the WGA, there's really no reason to register with them unless you are looking for some validation or wish for a certificate. Registering with the WGA has no legal standing; it is not the same as registering with the LOC. Plus, the WGA purges their database every 5 years, so, really, it is a waste of money—even John August has stated as much. So register or don't register with the WGA; it's up to you. One thing that is not professional is paranoia. People working in the industry know copyright very well, clearly. So be informed, perhaps consult a lawyer should you have questions, practice professional norms, be confident, and do whatever makes you comfortable. Then, get back to creating. ;) Best to you!

What CJ and Beth said