I, too, came across the “poor (wo)man’s copyright” in my research. It appears, however, that its usefulness is unfortunately outdated. While I suppose having a sealed, postmarked envelope containing your work certainly wouldn’t hurt, there are no provisions in copyright law that says a “poor man’s copyright” will provide any protection, or that it can substitute for an actual copyright registration. My guess is that these days, when it’s relatively easy to fake a postmark, it wouldn’t stand up very well in court.

I’m glad you mentioned Creative Commons! Even outside the music world, especially in the blogging world, I’ve seen a shift to “some rights reserved” rather than “all rights reserved.” It makes sense, if you think about it, especially online when the blogging world is all about sharing content. Fantastic.

In my, admittedly haphazard and not very in depth, research into copyright I came across something known as “poor man’s copyright” (I assume “poor woman’s copyright” is identical) wherein one can simply mail one’s self an envelope containing a piece and then keep it, unopened. Similar to a postmarked envelope being proof of residence, a sealed and postmarked envelope can act as proof of creation and ownership. Obviously, registering copyright is much more legitimate, but can this “poor [person]‘s copyright” stand up in court or negotiations?

Furthermore, in the music world there’s been a shift toward “copyleft” – using copyright to offer the right to distribute copies or remixes of a piece of work, provided those copies or remixes are also offered under the same conditions. Creative Commons (http://creativecommons.org/) is the most notable organization promoting the use of this method. Obviously, there are some differences between the music and publishing industries, but I wonder how a shift toward more open copyright in the literary world would effect the way we work.

Your site has some great resources. Do you have any other thoughts about copyright that you think are worth noting? If so, please share!

I really like this series and will be paying attention for part two, some great advice here. However, I do want to add that there are other reasons you may want to consider registering a work other than litigation, including that it helps with contract negotiation and it provides verification as to when the work was created, verification that stands on its own in a court of law.

Those two things combine to make registration a good idea for those seeking to license their work, even if they don’t plan on suing as it shows the creator is serious and prepared.

Just a side thought. Thank you again for this piece and drawing attention to this issue!