Research Guides: Playwriting and Screenwriting Resources: Copyright and Protecting Your Work

Registering and Protecting Your Work

WGA West Registry
Registering your work with the WGAW Registry documents the claim of authorship of a written work and does NOT take the place of registering with the Library of Congress, U.S. Copyright Office which primarily documents the ownership or rights of written work. While both create legal evidence that can be used in court, we recommend contacting the Library of Congress directly with any questions regarding COPYRIGHT procedures or practices.

When you register your script prior to submitting it to contests, agents, managers, or producers, you document your authorship on a given date should there be unauthorized usage.
Copyright Registration for Dramatists | Dramatists Guild
Copyright and advocacy information for playwrights and authors. Links to handouts and instructional videos on Copyright 101 can be found here: https://www.dramatistsguild.com/copyright#Videos

Permissions, Licensing, and Access

Copyright

Per copyright.gov, "Copyright is a type of intellectual property that protects original works of authorship as soon as an author fixes the work in a tangible form of expression."

Resources for further exploration:

Copyright for Creators
A starting place for faculty, students, and staff interested in gaining a greater understanding of copyright and its impact upon our creative work in higher education and beyond.
Engage Your Creativity (U.S. Copyright Office)
U.S. Copyright Law Glossary of Key Terms
UCLA Copyright Policies

UCLA faculty, staff, and students with specific copyright-related questions may contact UCLA Library staff at: copyright@library.ucla.edu.

Fair Use

Per copyright.gov, "Fair use is a legal doctrine that promotes freedom of expression by permitting the unlicensed use of copyright-protected works in certain circumstances."

Resources for further exploration:

Statement on the Fair Use of Images for Teaching, Research, and Study
Released by the Visual Resources Association
U.S. Copyright Office - More Information on Fair Use
Measuring Fair Use: The Four Factors Fair Use four factors guidelines from Stanford University

Creative Commons (CC) is a nonprofit organization that provides creators with alternatives to copyright. There are six types of CC licenses that allow creators more granular control over how users can share and interact with their work.

More information about Creative Commons:

Obtaining Permissions (UC Copyright Web Site)
Links to examples of model permission letters from other universities that can be modified.
Getting Permission (University of Texas Libraries)
Model Permission Letters (Columbia University Libraries)