Starting now-- after the wee little moments of reading this-- if you begin logging your work and it coincides with postings and also "those postings" coincide with "other" parallel postings which you've sent to your g space, you are building a paper trail.  (Ok, a virtual digital trail).  You know what I mean.

I'm no lawyer, but it's not hard to recognize that if you're concerned about copyright, keeping track of your work is a small price to pay for peace of mind that (at the very least) you are doing what is in your power to protect your ownership.

If you've got long paper lists which match log ins and emails, you've got a better chance at proving your case.

To Phi:

Why the heck does anyone need to be flown in?  I'm speaking about records which have accumulated over the course of time.  I'm not trying to be all "LAWERLY".  I don't have a clue about court's rules and I'm not going to pretend I do.

No, I'm trying to make a common sense point here.  Whoosheraaama!

Let's say that you've got a script which has been through a five year revisions process.  If it's logged virtually-- AND you've got printed logs... you've got a strong testament.

Simply by the sheer effort of your dedication, the judge would take you more seriously.

The question comes:  "Isn't this a lot of extra effort?"

It might be.  But...

Well, let's look at how easily I can record my week's efforts.  I can upload not just words, but videos, & pretty darn easily.  I can go into a great deal of detail about my daily developments.

If we use our brains, we can find new ways to help protect our works if we feel they are in danger of being stolen.

No, there aren't any guarantees, but at least you can get a sense that you are being proactive and not just sending your hard work off to some anonymous "Guild".  My goodness, it may sound all professional like, but come on... Like one of the last writers said, it doesn't matter as much as they want you to think it does.

They make their dough by getting all of the Little Guys to send in their scripts.  It's a BIG JOKE.  Think about it.  Like these gun legislation laws:  Is a criminal going to register their gun?  So why does the innocent guy need to register theirs?

Whoosherama.  That's it.

Sandra

Whoosherama my ass, Sandra.  

There is no reason to come up with new ways to protect your work when the old ways work fine.  Also, you're putting too much faith in an untried method that may mean jack in court.  The WGA and the Library of Congress are both recognized by the courts.  Your 'anonomous guild' reference shows ignorance in your part.  

If you want to protect your work, you register it with the copyright office in Washington.  Weblogs and virtual paper trails can easily be falsified.  While a proper registration of a script won't stop anyone from stealing it, it's something that carries weight should you go to court.

I register my work before I submit it, here.


Phil

This is, like, the fourth copywrite-related thread I've seen in four days.

In order to maximize utility, please post related topics to an existing thread.  There was no reason to start a new one.

Not barking at you, Sandra.  Just saying.

I would try to merge the threads but I always screw that up.  Maybe one of the more tech-savvy mods can help me out here.

I don't know why this is such a debated issue over the past few days.  Just copyright your work.  The fee is about 50 bucks now but in the long run that's next to nothing.  Think about the bigger picture.  

Logging your work and creating a paper trail may be a good idea, but ultimately if you got that (C) Insert Your Name Here and it's registered....things will be a lot easier.

And now I'm going to drive all the way up the state of California.  Ta.

Phil,        

I resent you tacking on course language to my wooshermana.  You're talking to someone who thought B** was a bad word when she was a little girl.

Lighten up.  Sway.  Listen to the birdies... Ah wait... where I live, the birdies have flown south; maybe where you are, it's getting pretty chilly too.  I don't know.  Well, maybe go and get one of those nature CDs.  

Anyways, let me be more clear because I obviously haven't done that.

The reason I use the word "anonymous" to describe "The Guild" (Da da DA-da) is because that's just what they are to me: They are an "entity".  Now that's not to say that I don't want to go the legitimate copyright routes when I've toiled for years on something and I feel it's ready to go out into the blissful world.  (Scratch that.  Maybe I've had that Binaural Beats CD on for too long).

Seriously, I'm just putting in my two cents regarding the fact that: No matter what, nothing is guaranteed and young writers are so vulnerable.  $30 or $50 dollars may not be a lot for some people, but for others, it's a lot of money.

I spent my life budgeting, making homemade bread and pancakes and serving the neighborhood.  $50 can buy a lot of food.  (I'm speaking of the Canadian dollar here).  I just bought 20 pounds of rice on sale for $5.98.  That rice will make my son's fantastic curries go a long way.

Anyways, I'm trying to make the point that a struggling young author who is naive and writes up a storm while faithfully registering too many of his rough scripts (rough to professionals; not to him) is just wasting money.

The guild should create a pamphlet that says, "What You Should Know Before We Take Your Money".

I think that's one thing I need to write: A cookbook on how to make your dollar stretch in the "Real" world.

Well, I just want young people, (because I know there are a lot of them that work on this site) to be aware.

Young people are prime targets for: "The Great XYZ School to a Better Job phenomena, "Sales Schemes," "Getting You Deep In Debt by Giving You Another Credit Card Schemes...  This is the kind of thing that I'm trying to help young people with because I was there once too; and because it was before The Age of The Internet, (Doesn't that seem to sound strange if you put it against Bronze, Industrial, Renaissance?  Makes you feel so...)  ... Because it was before The Great Information Exchange, I spent my share of dollars on scams.

Today, people are smarter, but they still fall prey and I hope I've helped someone here... Including you Phil...  Really, I hope you're not offended if I tease you, but I do sincerely feel you need to lighten.  Never mind what you think your personality is, I have this sense that tells me you are involved in some kind of turmoil with a family member-- someone specifically.

Let go of something that you've been hanging on to.  I don't know what that is, and you will feel so much lighter.  You will walk on air.  And you'll laugh like you haven't really done in a long time.  

If this helps, PM me, because I feel compelled to provide support and insight; when my efforts work, I am grateful to know : if I can help loosen something that keeps one in a kind of self bondage, the positive effects move like ripples to others.  No one should feel locked into something.  It's no way to live.  I feel you are locked into something.  Lock.  That's the key word.  ???

Hope this helps,

Sandra

Quoted from Sandra Elstree. I resent you tacking on course language to my wooshermana.  You're talking to someone who thought B** was a bad word when she was a little girl.

I resent you telling people to protect their work with untried methods that you thought up.  They might as well just mail their scripts to themselves if they're going to be that reckless.

Quoted from Sandra Elstree. The reason I use the word "anonymous" to describe "The Guild" (Da da DA-da) is because that's just what they are to me: They are an "entity".

I don't know anyone at the US Library of Congress, but that won't stop me from sending my work to them for protection.  Don't hide from what you don't know, especially when it's worked so well for over 200 years.

Quoted from Sandra Elstree. The guild should create a pamphlet that says, "What You Should Know Before We Take Your Money".

Go to the Library of Congress or the WGA websites.  They have FAQs.

Quoted from Sandra Elstree. Well, I just want young people, (because I know there are a lot of them that work on this site) to be aware. Today, people are smarter, but they still fall prey and I hope I've helped someone here... Including you Phil...  Really, I hope you're not offended if I tease you, but I do sincerely feel you need to lighten.

If you want to warn people, then you should be telling them proper ways to protect themselves, not made up ways.

And I don't need to lighten up.  

Quoted from Sandra Elstree. Never mind what you think your personality is, I have this sense that tells me you are involved in some kind of turmoil with a family member-- someone specifically. Let go of something that you've been hanging on to.  I don't know what that is, and you will feel so much lighter.  You will walk on air.  And you'll laugh like you haven't really done in a long time.   If this helps, PM me, because I feel compelled to provide support and insight; when my efforts work, I am grateful to know : if I can help loosen something that keeps one in a kind of self bondage, the positive effects move like ripples to others.  No one should feel locked into something.  It's no way to live.  I feel you are locked into something.  Lock.  That's the key word.  ???

First of all, my life is my business.  Yours is yours.

Second, don't talk shit about me carrying some baggage or guilt; I'm not.  I have no problems with my family.  Ignorance upsets me.  Spreading ignorance upsets me more.  You may have meant well, Sandra, but you did just the opposite in your post.


Phil

Well, I've been told.

Sandra