How do you copyright something?

[slizzut]

I have something that I would like to copyright, how do I go about doing this?

[Psychotron]

http://www.copyright.gov/

[Tock]

I think you fill out a form and send in $10. If you have a bunch of stuff, like a collection of songs, you can send 'em all in with the same form, all for $10. Or, that's how it worked 10 years ago.

As soon as you create a work, you have a copyright on it. Registering it only serves to establish with the feds that ya, it's yours.
Something you might do in addition to registering it with the feds, is to mail yourself several copies, and keep them unopened somewhere in case a minor dispute arises. If you can show someone who's using your stuff that you have an original copy with an official US Post Office date mark, they might back off, which would save you $$$ on lawyers. Keep in mind, though, that unopened postmarked envelopes of your stuff won't do carry much weight in a courtroom.

But ya, prolific songwriters will put all their stuff in a folder, then send them all at one time with the $10 fee instead of paying $10 for each item. Very frugal. And if you're generating lots of stuff, you can do the same.

-Tock