Two quick questions - wga

[Gary the Llama]

Two quick questions...

What happens when I register my script? I send them a copy... Does anyone read it? Do they send it back to me? Do they archive it?

Also, if I work on a script with another writer, does it have to be registered any differently?

[DUCPHO]

You can send a hard copy to WGA (either East (or) West) and you receive a registration page back.

I think you can register with them on line now, go to their site and check.

There are also a number of other literary rights protection services available on line. I think Inktip.com uses someone other than WGA.

At any rate you have many options, just make sure you exercise one before sending material out.

Good luck!

[bottomlesscup]

They don't read it. They seal it, time-stamp it and file it away for a set period of time.

If you have another writer, you register it as such. It doesn't cost any more or require a seperate form.

[xtz]

Here's the place where you should register your script

www.copyright.gov/ (http://www.copyright.gov/)

Form PA, $30, last forever and is the only place where you are legally registering your copyright.

All the WGA can do is act as an objective witness in court to say you sent them the material at a certain date. That's no different from giving anyone else the script on a certain date with the promise to testify if your copyright is infringed - any other private 'registration' service or say an attorney - so long as they are objective the court will listen. You've got a witness but register with the Copyright Office and you've already got proof.

There is nothing official about the WGA - they are just another private body taking your $20. What they call 'registering' is registering WITH THEM - that's all. It isn't legally registering your copyright, the only place to do that is, as I say, the Library of Congress - its what they're for.

Also, someone on this board said that if you have to sue and are successful you'll miss out on being able to claim legal costs if you 'registered' with the WGA and not Congress. And you're hostage to repeat fees when the 'registration' runs out or you lose your evidence of when you wrote the script.

And don't try mailing to yourself - its called the poor man's copyright - because you stay poor. It doesn't prove anything because, for example, you could've mailed yourself an unsealed envelope then sealed your script in it months later.

As for your question - nobody at the Copyright Office will read your script. Nobody in their short life has time to read your script -- even people you want to read your script, usually especially those people.