Hello. It's been awhile since I've been on the site. I have a new inquiry. I am planning on copyright protecting my screenplay. When I copyright protect it, will it cover any future changes that I make after applying the copyright? Or does it only cover the one draft, thus not protecting such revisions?
Screenwriting : Copyright by Jeff Kraus
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Standard disclaimer: talk to a lawyer. But... you're copyrighting everything. The story, the text, the characters... If you change some dialogue on page 10 so that Jane is extra angry in the catamaran scene, then you still have the same story, the same characters, MOST of the same text... Now: if three drafts down the line you have a script that's not recognizable as the script you first copyrighted, then maybe you need to copyright that most recent draft. If you added a brilliant scene that's so awesome you're worried someone could steal just that single scene, maybe you need to copyright that most recent draft. See what I'm saying?
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Registering with the WGA is essential if you are a member. If not it's worthless. Register the copyright.
@Kerry Douglas Dye I understand where you're coming from. I ask this question because over the last couple of years, I have written 10 drafts. The story is essentially the same, but I've altered significant scenes, deleted dialog, and added character development. I've even had some very close friends look over it. I am about at the point where I feel that any changes I make are small. Before I send my work out to other people, I want it protected.
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@D Marcus I am not a WGA. However, I plan on joining. Copyright first.
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The US copyright office, allows you to put your new work , such as a script that is being attached to a copyrighted treatment, basically in the same "copyrighted" package. When you are in the menu for the copyright, it asks you if it is being attached to another body of work you have previously registered. That's the way I would do all, and any significant updates. (And also with the WGA). Will cost you less than $100 to protect your work at both places.
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Having spoken with IP attorneys about this, they said that it is "the execution of your concept" (not the concept itself) that the copyright protects... and that qualitative AND quantitative proof must be presented (thus, you always want a paper trail... digital emails included). However, the copyright does give you the opportunity for punitive damages to be awarded (big money), and it lasts for all your life and (I believe) 70 years afterwards too (for your heirs). The WGA listing only lasts 5 years and must then be re-registered.
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One more thing about a provable paper-trail should you sue: this is what cloud-storage of emails is all about. I have a client who tends to clean (i.e. delete) a lot of our old email correspondence... and then kicks themself when an old email I know I sent them contains exactly what they now need. Sometimes, I'm pleasantly surprised that I save 99.9% of my relevant emails in dedicated folders (that just sit there on "the cloud") as they can really come to the rescue when you least expect needin' 'em. Hey, there's a great future movie title that will probably show up in theaters near you soon: "The Cloud Kinda like "The Blob" and "The Fog" from so long ago. ;-)