Should You Register Spec Script With Writers Guild

Y'all tin can (and should) protect your script before posting it online, submitting it to contests, or asking for feedback.

Non only does it protect your piece of work, simply in fact, well-nigh organizations will require it. Why?

As Professor Warren puts it, "If someone sends you a script about a fairy princess, and you happen to be producing a script about a fairy princess—they might say you lot stole it." And, of grade, if they really did steal it, you (the writer) would want to be protected. It goes both ways.

And then, before you lot submit any scripts to our Feedback Team (or anywhere else!), delight protect your script.

TL/DR: While there are several methods, we recommend registering your scripts with the Writers Gild of America West to ensure you're completely covered.

Outset, what can you copyright?

In the US, you cannot copyright ideas—only written works with action, dialogue, etc. As the US Copyright Role explains:

What does copyright protect? Copyright, a form of intellectual property law, protects original works of authorship including literary, dramatic, musical, and artistic works, such as poetry, novels, movies, songs, computer software, and architecture. Copyright does not protect facts, ideas, systems, or methods of operation, although it may protect the way these things are expressed. See Circular 1, Copyright Basics, section "What Works Are Protected."

This means that, while you should practice discretion when sharing ideas or outlines, in that location's nothing you need to exercise (or legally can practice) to protect yourself until you take a script.

In most countries (including the Usa), copyrights are automatic.

When is my work protected? Your work is under copyright protection the moment it is created and fixed in a tangible form that it is perceptible either directly or with the aid of a machine or device. Do I have to register with your office to be protected? No. In general, registration is voluntary. Copyright exists from the moment the work is created. You will have to register, however, if you wish to bring a lawsuit for infringement of a U.S. work. See Circular 1, Copyright Basics, section

Further, in general, most countries laurels each other's copyrights—that is, if your script is automatically copyrighted in India, the The states government will recognize that you ain that cloth and vice versa. That said, you'll desire to check Circular 38a, International Copyright Relations of the Us, to ensure your country is included.

Is my copyright good in other countries? The United States has copyright relations with most countries throughout the world, and as a result of these agreements, we honor each other's citizens' copyrights. However, the United States does not have such copyright relationships with every country. For a listing of countries and the nature of their copyright relations with the United States, see Circular 38a, International Copyright Relations of the United States.

So, if copyrights are automatic, why register at all?

As mentioned briefly before, many contests, studios, agencies, and producers will crave you to register your script earlier submission in club to protect themselves against lawsuits.

However—there are a couple of reasons why y'all want your script be registered also:

1. If you ever take to go to courtroom considering someone stole your script, you'll need a filed copyright or registration with the Writers Guild of America.

If yous have an official copyright and it's infringed upon, you have a ameliorate chance at getting compensated for damages and attorney's fees in court.

Why should I register my work if copyright protection is automatic? Registration is recommended for a number of reasons. Many choose to register their works because they wish to have the facts of their copyright on the public record and have a certificate of registration. Registered works may be eligible for statutory damages and attorney's fees in successful litigation. Finally, if registration occurs within five years of publication, it is considered prima facie evidence in a court of law. See Circular 1, Copyright Basics, section

ii. Just, nearly importantly: If you ever have to prove your copyright, you'll also need definitive proof of when you wrote the script.

If you can't prove yous wrote the script before the person who stole information technology, and so you're out of luck.

We Recommend: Writers Gild of America West ($xx)

The simplest, most legitimate style to protect your script is by registering it with the WGA. Registrations are just $20 and are valid for five years. You tin register through the WGA even if y'all live exterior the US (see below for more details).

There are two WGAs—East and West. In general, if you lot're east of the Mississippi, y'all submit to East and vice versa. However, it doesn't actually make a difference and frankly, the West'south website is much easier to navigate.

Click here to register your script with WGA West.

Tip: Don't include your WGA registration on your script's title page unless explicitly asked. Information technology'south not necessary.

For International Writers Using WGA Westward

We reached out to WGA W to double-bank check that international writers can register their scripts. They got back to u.s. with an affirmative:

"The WGAW Registry is available worldwide. Registration of piece of work is legal valid evidence and, if necessary, the Registry will submit material equally evidence to any legal proceeding or mediation regardless of location or membership."
WGAWEST Registry, Customer Service (May 13, 2020)

Some sections of the registration class will be a bit odd, but here's how you handle those:

Identification

Hither, you're asked to where enter your "SS# [Social Security Number] or Equivalent." The driblet-downwards options include:

Social security number
Commuter's license number
WGA business relationship number / other authorities issued ID

If yous take a driver'south license in your country, you tin can select that option. If you exercise not, select the 3rd option: "WGA Acct #/Other Gov't-Issued ID"

Now, you lot can enter a number that is either your:

Passport number
Other government-issued identification number

Whichever you lot use, be sure that you lot leave out whatsoever special characters or hyphens.

Address

Y'all'll notice the accost section is designed for North American addresses—specifically the "State/Province" section and "Cypher" sections.

For the country, you'll find options for the Usa and Canada. If your state isn't listed or yous don't have a state, select the "–" option (but above AL). Here is a list of what all their abbreviations hateful if you aren't familiar.

For "Zip," postal codes are also accustomed.

And, finally, the WGA West likewise assured us that the telephone number field s optional and may exist left bare.

My information won't fit!

Don't worry. The WGA West rep explained that y'all should enter equally many characters equally y'all can, but so you're fine:

"Constraints with the online system accept forced us to limit the amount of space in the identification and phone number fields. When registering online, authors should enteras much of the identification number as possible.

.

"Not having the complete number on file should not present any problems as long every bit the author provides us with a photograph ID whenrequesting specific data from his or her registration records."

.
WGAWEST Registry, Client Service (May 13, 2020)

And there you have it! That's how you lot annals your script with the WGA W every bit an international writer.

Back-upwards: Email Your Script to Yourself

Please note that while we strongly recommend using the WGA West's registration system to be as condom equally possible—and some competitions volition crave a formal registration specifically—if your budget is tight, this culling method will offer some protection.

As we mentioned before, in most countries, copyrights are automatic. If you write it, it's yours. The difficulty is proving when you wrote it. So, to get your piece of work timestamped, e-mail your script to yourself and save it. That's information technology.

While the U.s. Copyright Office says that physically mailing your script to yourself (a "Poor Man's Copyright") doesn't offer legal protection. What this means is, if you have to go to court, yous'll need to file the official copyright or WGA registration.

My not-lawyer-ly impression is it'southward a bogus excuse to collect your filing fee. (Am I cynical? Possibly.)

I reached out to my entertainment lawyer, who works out of LA, and while he couldn't say yes or no to this method, he confirmed that the primary concern is with a timestamp.

In sum, registering with WGA earlier at that place is a problem is preferable because the WGA:

Gives y'all bear witness of your copyright that would concord up in court
Is a simple, relatively affordable process.

So, register your scripts with the WGA West earlier sending them out! 🙂

This article was updated May fourteen, 2020.