how does the "copyrighting something by mailing it to yourself" work?
954204
allegedly it proves the date you came up with an idea - that is if the letter is in there - and the postal service gives a clean date mark - front and back to seal the letter -\n\ndo not know if it will hold up in court\n\nand do not open the letter
133494
You can email the pictures to yourself.
278040
There have been a lot of problems lately with people stealing and posting things on the Internet. The (incorrect) assumption is that anything on the Web is public domain. Creators of all types are learning to protect themselves by making it clear that their work is copyrighted: A copyright protects an artist, publisher or writer from unauthorized copying of his or her work - including song lyrics. \n \n \n Steps:\n1.  Write your lyric and put it in a tangible form - on paper, sheet music, computer disk or audiotape. You can't copyright an idea that is still in your head.\n \n2.  Recognize that anything written after April 1, 1989, is automatically protected (in the United States) by an assumed copyright. If you don't transfer the copyright to someone else, it will last 70 years past your date of death.\n \n3.  Register with the U.S. Copyright Office so that you can more easily collect damages if your work is copied. This also provides public notice.\n \n4.  Use the U.S. Copyright Office's PA form to register a song. Use its SR form to register published and unpublished sound recordings.\n \n5.  Expect to pay a nonrefundable fee for registration. The current charge is $30.\n \n6.  Include a copyright notice at the end of your work. The proper format is: Copyright or �, year of first publication of the work, author's name: � 2000 John Doe or Copyright 2000 John Doe.\n \n \n Tips:\n Check out the Copyright Office's free electronic-mailing list, NewsNet. To subscribe, send a message to LISTSERV@RS8.LOC.GOV. Type SUBSCRIBE USCOPYRIGHT in the body of the message.\n \n \n Warnings:\n Register your copyright anytime, but remember that, if registration is made within three months before an infringement of the work, the owner can collect statutory damages and attorney's fees in court action. If the work is not registered, he or she can collect only actual damages and profits.\n \n Tips from eHow Users:\n Poor man's copyright \nTo extend this idea and make it more legal, have the copy(s) notarized before sealing it (them) in an envelope. Be sure to mail it to yourself the same day so that the postmark will coincide with the date it was notarized (and you won't have to open the envelope in case you forgot exactly when it was notarized). Although not a secure substitute for a government copyright, it would still be legally recognized by the government as valid.\n \n \nRate this tip:     \n \n Poor Man's copyright by eHow Friend\nI would advise that you not to rely on the Poor Man's copyright. Ensure that you read up very carefully on the Poor Man's copyright before you put faith in it to copyright songs or lyrics.
514274
One thing you can do to guarantee not getting ripped off, is whats called a "poor man's copyright". This is how you do it. First, make a copy of your script, outline, storyboard etc., whatever you have. Put the original in a shipping envelope (the manila colored ones with padding work best), now, take it to the mailbox, and mail it to yourself, honestly, the post office will do this. They will take the letter, process it, in processing they will stamp it with their location, and the date, then when it comes back to you, DO NOT OPEN IT, literally leave it closed, forever, but keep it safe. The reason being, if someone steals your idea, the "poor mans copyright" will hold up in court if the date is visible (and before the other person says they made theirs), and the envelope is unopened, that way they know it was not tampered with in any way. This is a great help to struggling writers who dont have the money to spend on copyrighting their ideas.
457817
copy it from anywhere on the internet. \nif it's not on the internet, upload it to photobucket.com or flickr.com and then copy it and paste it into your email.\nagain, it has to be on the internet or the source will be on your computer and not from the internet, and therefore the person you're sending the email to will not be able to see the image enless they're viewing the image on the computer the image is on.
85275
keep it in word format and attach it to the email.  this way they can print it up and it will keep the original properties that the person already had.  \n\nThis is only if the sender had sent it to you with Word... if they just copy and pasted it in to the body - I would ask them to resend it if they have the original in WORD.
886311
I copyright a lot of stuff... For you use literary copyright and follow the instructions in the link I'm sending to you.
1137533
If you're talking about accessing your own personal mail from someone else's computer, I'm guessing you're referring to email service provided by your own internet service provider. Generally these ISPs have a "web mail" or "net mail" service where you can access your mail via a browser (not an email client). For instance, Verizon's web service is at netmail.verizon.net, and RCN's is at webmail.rcn.com. You have to set this up with your ISP before it will work.
697899
To *register* a copyright (technically, its copywritten when you write it), you send a copy of the work (strips, book, whatever) along with a form and $45 to the U.S. Copyright Office.\n\nTrademarks are a bit more complicated (not to mention expensive).  You generally have to show that you've used whatever you're trademarking in commerce, and send samples in.\n\nThe websites of the Copyright and Patent & Trademark Offices are below - both have good FAQ's on when you do and don't have to register your work.
37966
Copyrighting is easy; all you need to do is be able to prove that you created the material before a certain date.  Actually, whenever you create the material you automatically have the copyright, but if you ever needed to prove it you would need a dated copy.\n\nThis will work: send a copy of the manuscript to yourself in the mail.  Take the parcel down to the post office and have the clerk stamp the parcel all over with the date.  Then send it to yourself.  When it arrives, just hang on to it and don't open it.  If you ever need to establish that you hold the copyright, you'll have a copy inside a dated envelope!\n\nAs for publishing, I have no idea.
608249
My first, I did, was done by mailing the original tape to myself. Don't open it! The post mark is the date that will hold up in court.\nThis was learned while going to school for Music in the Music business class.
409424
There are some right answers above but a lot of bad information.\n\nFirst of all, you don't need a patent.  You haven't invented anything.  \n\nSecond, never, never mail your idea to yourself and not open the letter.  That's just the poorest, silliest way to prove anything that I've ever heard of.  It costs thirty dollars to register a copyright.  To save thirty bucks, it's not worth the risk of some half-stoned mailing scheme.\n\nThird, it's spelled copyright; not any of the many more creative spellings above.\n\nFourth, there is nothing you can do to prevent piracy.  People produce pirated t-shirts.  It's just a fact.  Calvin and Hobbes have not been licensed to appear anywhere, yet they're on t-shirts that sell in legitimate stores.\n\nFifth, the moment you fix your ideas down in perceptible form, you have a copyright.  You don't have to register it or mail it to yourself or anything.  You are entitled to the protections of state and federal copyright law.\n\nBut, sixth, registering your copyright gives you some added protections and puts the world on notice that this creation belongs to you.  So, draw whatever it is you want on a t-shirt and submit the drawing with thirty dollars to the US copyright office (which is NOT the patent and trademark office) at http://www.copyright.gov/\n\nGood luck.
941881
I don't see where it is a bit illegal for you to make the image as long as you aren't redistributing or reselling copies of the game for profit and gain. That is the copywrite act you hear everyone screaming about. As long as you only copy it for yourself to load up with a virtual drive or something like that to keep the game cd in good condition nobody would ever know unless you tell them.
89476
The easiest way is called a poor mans copyright. It simply involves making a copy of your CD and then mailing it to yourself. Kept unopened, the dated postmark will protect you in court against unlawful copies.\n\nFrom that point forward the court record will protect you forever.\n\nYou can file any claims in small clains court too. That is pretty cheap and you will not even need a lawyer.
670411
They'll email it to you.
38559
It would be very hard to prove that it's your idea.  You could mail yourself your written idea and keep it sealed.  That would have a postmark on it at least.
631568
Most copying of copyrighted works is illegal. Then if you share it, that is an illegal distribution. However, some copying is fair use, an exception to the law. Most home copying for personal use is fair use, but you shouldn't distribute the copies to others. Basically, the artistic work underlying that recording or broadcast belongs to someone else, and you violate their rights by copying or distributing without permission. If a work is in the public domain, the copyright has expired, and you can do whatever you want with it.