How to copyright?

[spotysocks]

I am writing something for sometime now and soon i ll start approaching literary agents and publishers. I found some companies that do copyright and i ve also heard that if i post it to my address and never open the envelope it can be copyrighted this way , dont know if that's true. Anyone can tell me how to copyright written work?

[wouldlikemuscle]

http://www.ipo.gov.uk/copy.htm

[spotysocks]

thanks i have checked it out but still not sure the © symbol copyrights it automatically as they say here:

'To help protect your copyright work, it is advisable to mark it with the © symbol, the name of the copyright owner and the year of publication. Although this is not essential, it will let others know when the term of protection started and hence whether it is still covered by copyright, and indicate who to approach should they need to ask permission to use the work.'

[wouldlikemuscle]

http://www.ipo.gov.uk/c-basicfacts.pdf

From the pdf, it basically says your work will have automatic copyright protection until 70 years after your death (how morbid!).

The C sign just lets people know about the copyright... although your work will still be copyright protected in the UK without it.

It also advises "

send copies to yourself by special
delivery (which gives a clear date
stamp on the envelope), leaving
the envelope unopened when it is

returned to you"

to help as proof of ownership.

[spotysocks]

Cool! cant see pdf in this computer maybe there they have all the details there...

What confuses me is that in that site says 'there are no forms to fill in and no fees to pay to get copyright protection' and there are steps one can take to copyright and protect his work but doesn't say what those steps are.

[phel1979]

From something I've learned that the copyright occured from your work is done . there is no special thing that need you to do. copyright is different from latent and trademark which need your applying and pay fees.
my words above is general situation and it is in most countries. but if there are some special in UK ,I wouldn't know.

[Serfdom]

An old old way I heard some used to protect themselves was to post a copy of it to yourself so that if there was a future dispute then the post stamp/date would confirm it was yours when opened by the judged.

But thats assuming a dispute would come up!

[phel1979]

Pubishing them as early as you can, that is the best way to protect your work.