Any tips on how to copywrite full scripts (plays, sit-coms etc)? The more work I'm completing and sending off the more I want to protect my work - if not the whole script then the idea/characters/odd funny line etc etc. Thanks in advance for any good advice.
Copy writers are the hacks who churn out the words. Copyright is the ownership of your artistic creation. The BBC explains and sends you to the UK Patent Office: http://www.bbc.co.uk/filmnetwork/filmmaking/guide/before-you-start/copyright#how
In the UK, you automatically own the copyright to your script as soon as you've written it.
Incidentally, you cannot copyright ideas.
As above, I thought you automatically owned any rights to it and the real battle is being able to prove you own it. When I used to be into music production, people used to put their tracks onto cd and send it to themselves via recorded post before they sent the music to labels so that if it ever came to it, they had the package unopened with a date stamp etc. Not sure if was ever used in court. So I supposed putting the work somewhere that records the date is proof enough. Email it to friends, post on forums etc.
It's very hard to keep and prove copyright and most prodcos have a rider somewhere in their paperwork, asking you acknowledge that you recognise they may be working on something similar to your idea.
As it is it's a bit of a dead herring. It's pretty rare a script plops into an in box, and some producer goes, wow this is the most amazing thing we never thought of, let's buy it or let's steal it.
More likely, far more likely. Is they'll say this guy or gal can write, lets hire them to work on this project we've already decided to do a year ago.
Copyright paranoia I suspect scuppers more writers than copyright theft ever did.