How to Copyright Screenplays and Scripts

As a current screenwriter, I often run into amateur screenwriters who want to tell me about their next big idea. They always preempt it with ‘don’t steal my idea’, which is reasonable since ideas are not protected. This includes loglines, undeveloped treatments, summaries or your basic synopsis with some exceptions. Ironically your work is already protected to some degree because copyright exists with authorship. Nonetheless, you should submit fully developed work to other entities for additional protection. So, if you are ready to copyright, this is how you do it.

First, you should know the difference between copyright registrations at the U.S. Copyright Office of the Library of Congress versus the Writers Guild of America (WGA). The WGA is a labor union. Quoting from the WGA website, “One of the Guild’s main functions is to enforce the Guild’s collective bargaining agreements as well as writing services and literary material purchase agreements with signatory companies”. Registering your work with the WGA provides a dated record of your claim to authorship against unauthorized use, but it does not replace the registering of your work with the U.S. Copyright Office. Both create legal evidence that can be used in court, but in the event of litigation, having only a registration with the WGA presents some limitations such as whether you can claim litigation fees or statutory damages. Therefore, it is always best to first copyright your work with the U.S. Copyright Office and then register with the WGA. But in all honesty, if you’re trying to save a few bucks, and you want some level of protection quickly, there’s nothing wrong with a quick registration with the WGA. This could be useful if you are looking to submit your script for coverage or to a contest. Here is the link: https://www.wgawregistry.org/. And you can always later register with the U.S. Copyright Office: https://www.copyright.gov/. But for the fullest legal protection, you should register with the U.S. Copyright Office.

To register your work with the U.S. Copyright Office, you can fill out a form, pay the fee, and upload your work online. The whole process takes about 20 minutes to complete, but it can take about six months to get your final certificate mailed. The last time I submitted something for copyright to the U.S. Copyright Office was 2019, and it was a $55 fee. I believe that scripts/screenplays are submitted under the Performing Arts (as opposed to the Literary Works) option. If you like this article, feel free to share.