Thursday, April 20, 2006

I got an email from someone asking if I'd like to partner with them to promote their "Click and Copyright" site where, for only $97 dollars, they will file your screenplay with the US Copyright Office. Or $147 for their bonus services. I wasn't too clear on what their bonus services are. But they have obviously Google-bombed their own site because

One of our sites, [snip], provides online copyrighting, (and is number 2 and 3 on google's natural results for the term "copyright your screenplay"

I'm afraid I did not partner with them. Because all you need to copyright your screenplay is a copy of your script, a copy of the Library of Congress's FORM PA, a check for $30, an envelope, and some stamps. Just go to the handy Library of Congress page on Performing Arts copyrights and download the form.

Filing with the US Copyright Office at the Library of Congress is many times more effective than registering your script with either Writer's Guild. It provides a statutory registration, rather than evidence that you wrote the material. Registering your Form PA gives you legal rights that no third party, no matter how well intentioned, can give you.

You can read more at Filmmakerstore, where they seem to be trying to earn an honest buck. I've also written at length about copyright in my FAQ.

Labels: copyright, rights

4:49 PM

2 Comments:

No. "Work for hire" is a term of art. It has nothing to do with actually doing the work for hire.

By  Alex Epstein, at 9:37 PM  

According to your link there, the price has gone up to $45. For the numerous articles I write, that's not even worth the cost, it'd put me in debt for what I get.

By  Paul William Tenny, at 3:00 PM  

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