Copywriting your Work

I know that when something is created, it's copywritted so, would this work. You put your article in an envelope and get someone to sign something to say this article was created on X Date at X Time by X person. Would this stop the other person stealing your work and saying they wrote it before you?

You would have to send the letter/envelope to yourself. That way there is a registered stamp on the front that is dated. The letter would also have to remain unopened.

Another way is to get your lawyer to view and verify the item in a written statement.

Yes, you should definitely mail the envelope to yourself ... I agree. It's called a "Poor Man's Copyright."

Just be careful! Courts haven't been upholding these as much as in the past.

The idea is that since the post office is a division of the federal government, their date/time stamp is worth as much as that of the copyright office. In order to be absolutely sure that your copyright would hold up in court, take it directly into the postoffice, and ask the person to not only stamp the front, but also to place a stamp along the seal. That's you're safest bet!

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Jenn Mattern
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