Poormans Copyright

Few things are more frustrating than composing an original work of any kind, whether it is poetry, photography,or music etc., only to have it copied and used by someone else for profit. It is important to note that there are copyright laws to protect you but what if you can't afford to officially register your work? What can you do to provide yourself with some evidence that you are the true author/creator? The answer is commonly known as the "Poor Man's Copyright".

It is important that you always sign and date your work and state that it is copyrighted. You must also firmly establish the date that you completed your work. You need something that will protect you against the false claim of , "I did it before you!" Something that will will offer you some measure of protection in a court of law if necessary.

The process is ridiculously simple. First make a copy of your writings, plans, music etc. Next, type a claim of copyright stating that you are the true creator/author of this piece. Date and sign this evidence. If appropriate take a photo of your creation/invention . Next place all of this in an envelope, seal it, address it to yourself and take it to the nearest post office. Request that it be sent certified mail with a receipt requested. This should cost about $5.00 for a legal size envelope with 3 sheets of paper enclosed. If you are sending a cassette or CD make sure that it is adequately padded to protect the contents from damage in the mail. This will cost a little more due to it's weight. When the envelope arrives, sign for it but DO NOT OPEN IT!! Simply file it away,with your receipt in a secure place. You now have a sealed envelope with a postmark firmly establishing the time of your claim, and a signed receipt that it was indeed sent via certified mail and received by you on a certain date.

If you have to take someone to court for stealing your work, this proof can be brought to the court room and should ONLY BE OPENED BY AN OFFICER OF THE COURT. In this way no one can claim you tampered with the contents. Repeat this entire process with each new item you create and keep them together in a file. To avoid confusion ,write the title of the piece you are trying to protect on the back of each envelope as you send it. That way you won't take the the wrong envelope to open! This offers you a small measure of protection until such time you can afford a proper copyright. A formal copyright is always your best protection, and if filed promptly you can recover the lawyers fees as well as damages from the infringer. A poor mans copyright does NOT give you that level of protection. For information on obtaining a formal copyright go to http://www.copyright.gov/registry.

People who are creative love to share their work with the world but they must protect themselves from sharing their hard earned profits!