Note: This article is not legal advice, and should not be treated as such. Always consult a professional legal source if you have questions about legal matters.

In the United States, copyrighting is automatic. That means if you create something, it is automatically copyrighted. Automatically. Pretty cool eh?

I just copyrighting a drawing of a flying dragon on a napkin.

Well, it doesn’t quite work that way, but you get the picture.

As you might guess, this method is a little bit slippery when it comes to accounting for it. Let’s say someone steals something from your movie – all you’ve got is the default copyright claim that comes automatic when you created the film in the first place. It’s kind of like the default insurance that comes with your rental car.

What most people don’t realize is that it is extremely easy to copyright your film with the US Government. Then, you’ve got the upgraded copyright stuff. You’ve got the deluxe package, and you’re rollin’.

Copyrighting Online

I’m going to be pretty up front here – the US Government has a web application to copyright works online, but it isn’t going to be a smooth experience. It is most likely going to through up Javascript errors about sessions and then send you to a blank page. Just keep going back to the site, and you’ll be fine. It just takes a little bit of patience.

The site is called the Electronic Copyright Office (ECO), and you can find it at www.copyright.gov/eco.

You navigate the site by following their instructions. On the first page, you’ll be confronted by a choice of what you want to copyright:

We’re obviously going for “Motion Picture / Audio Visual Work”. Click it, and you get an explanation:

Select Motion Picture/Audiovisual if you are registering a feature film, documentary film, animated film, television show, video, videogame, or other audiovisual work. An audiovisual work is a work that consists of a series of related images that are intended to be shown by the use of a machine or device, together with accompanying sounds, if any.

From there, follow the instructions down the list, and provide all the necessary information. If you get stuck, click on a link somewhere – the ECO site has tons of great and very clear documentation that will help you for your particular situation.

Once you are done, you pay a fee to register your copyright, which is only $35. Not bad when you consider the benefits of copyrighting officially with the government.

Once you send it in, the government reviews it. If they have any problems with it they will contact you. If not, you will receive notice that your copyright has gone through.

For more information, there is no better site than just copyright.gov. They have a treasure trove on information on how to handle your copyright, including instructions on how to preregister a copyright before a work is fully completed.