How do you legally get something copy written?

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   Swopeposted 12 years ago

   How do you legally get something copy written?

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2. 59

   tussinposted 12 years ago

   You mean "copyrighted."  Copywriting is a specific type of writing, usually for advertisements.  Copyrighting is a legal process that makes it clear who the owner of the written work is. 
   
   As it turns out, under US copyright law, as soon as you write something down, you own the copyrights to it.  If your hubs are your own original work, then you are the copyright holder and you do not need to pay for any extra certification. 
   
   To be on the safe side, some people do this trick where they mail themselves a copy of whatever they wrote so that it has a date stamp.  As long as the envelope is still sealed, it can be used as proof in a court case if it ever came down to that.

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      Uninvited Writerposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      The mailing yourself a copy is not valid and called poor man's copyright. They even say on the US copyright website that it cannot be used in court.

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3. 62

   jnferellisposted 12 years ago

   I assume you mean how do you protect something with copyright law?
   
   In the United States, the moment you affix something you create to a medium you have copyright protection. For example, I have protection on this post already, as you have with yours. If you are in a bar and you draw a picture on a napkin, you have copyright. When you snap a picture with your camera, you have copyright.
   
   It is no longer necessary to have a copyright notice on something to be provided with copyright protections. It has not been necessary for a long time. Some people think copyright does not exist on the web if they do not see such a statement. They are sadly (and sometimes expensively) mistaken.
   
   No offense to tussin, but mailing yourself a letter is irrelevant when it comes to copyright law. It is not necessary. It probably was used in the past. Now, if you want to, you can register your copyright for $35-60 (I believe) with the copyright office. But doing so is mainly useful for the additional penalties it provides if you had done so before someone violated your copyright, and you generally will register if you decide to sue someone.

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