Screenwriting : Copyright vs Registered Screenplay. by Maurice Draine

Want double the protection, register with both the LOC and WGAW. But if you can only afford one, I agree with J, register it with the LOC.

Awesome!!!!!! Thanks guys! Maurice

I registered my SP with the LOC, $35 online, although my payment didn't go through, so they re-billed me and it cost $60! However, on research all roads lead to the LOC / WGA..i did both

Copyright lasts your lifetime and beyond. WGAw registration is only good for 5 years and then you have to pay again for the next five.

Mark, perfect point.

Thanks guys! I just registered my script with WGA for $20.00. Then I check prices and companies and found Legal Zoom.com. They can help me help myself and copyright my script for I think it was $115 plus Government fees for $35.00 for a total of $150.00. I stink at Math, I think that adds up to be $150.00 lol. Thanks again guys!

Maurice, I believe you can electronically register the copyright yourself on the Copyright Office website and only have to pay the $35 fee. http://www.copyright.gov/eco/

Yes. It's only $35 and it will only take a few minutes. USCO has legal rights behind it; WGA is nice, but not as powerful legally as USCO.

I'll tell you what - I'll do it for you for $114 + $35 - you can save a dollar! ;-)

Sorry guys, I'm from Australia so don't know what USCO is. Could somebody enlighten me, please? I've registered one screenplay with WGA. Would USCO be better? Thanks for any advice

United States Copyright Office. USCO has severe criminal and civil penalties that can be used to enforce it. I am sure there is a similar office in Australia. WGA is worthwhile, but for different reasons. Allow me to do your homework for you: http://www.writersstore.com/wgaw-registration-vs-copyright-registration/

WGA does a word to word or scene to scene comparison of text, format, script, treatment. I do both (copyright & register) with some of my projects. But I sure like knowing that literal words are compared by the WGA ... rather than a project construct itself. I use the word construct in lieu of concept or idea, because the US Copyright office do not protect ideas. I have a shameful admission ... Once upon a time not too long ago I was overly concern about theft of my intellectual properties. I realize that there are a lot more ideas where the stolen ideas have come from.

What is the LOC? Anyone have a link?

Library of Congress and I posted a link above on where to electronically apply for a copyright. And for you authors out there, if you put a copyright statement in your work and publish it, you own the copyright and do not have to go through the additional step and cost of applying for a copyright. Yes, if you publish your work, the copyright is free. The fee and paperwork for screenplays is necessary because they are not published work, and so it's harder to establish ownership of the copyright without an application.

Tracy, LOC = "LIbrary of Congress" or US Copyright Office. Mark S. posted a link above.

While you do not have to register it to prove a copyright, you would want to do it to obtain damages if someone copied it.

Have you been here? http://www.wga.org/

Copyright registration is the easiest and best way to prove copyright, by far, at least in my opinion.

I feel more secure with the Library of congress Copyright office.

"The only real advantage of the WGA registration is that, in the event of a lawsuit or a credit arbitration, the WGA will have an employee appear and testify concerning the date of the registration. But this is rarely an issue during litigation." See: http://www.writersstore.com/wgaw-registration-vs-copyright-registration/

http://www.writersstore.com/wgaw-registration-vs-copyright-registration/ The table at the end of the above article summarizes the pluses and minuses of WGA vs. US Copyright. Since you can copyright electronic copies of a script in a few minutes (for instance, a PDF file), WGA does not have the speed advantage it once did.