General
How do I protect my work?
Remember, the longer you wait to register your work, the more you have to lose. You MUST register it as early as possible for the greatest protection.
1) Join the WCA by selecting one of our monthly packages.
2) Once logged in, UPLOAD your work to our server.
3) Each file you upload is given a unique serial number.
4) Apply that serial number to the front page of your work when you send it out. ie "WCA registration #C11234
That's it. The whole process takes five minutes.
As a neutral third party, registering with us not only gives you protection for your intellectual work, it also serves as a deterrent to those who show potential interest in your work. Our service provides the registrant with date creation of intellectual material.
**Please read our terms and conditions for more information. Please be aware that registration does not protect titles (ie names) of screenplays, books, teleplays and the like.
How does copyright work?
In the UK, as in most countries, a document, work, or creative project is automatically copywritten upon the day of creation by virtue of its creation. By placing the author's name, date and the word 'copyright' or the legally accepted symbol "©" along with date of creation, this is in effect, declaring the copyright of an author's work. It does not protect you in case of litigation. And the old method of posting yourself a copy of your work through registered or recorded delivery is proving less reliable. Written, documentary evidence of date and time of registration is the only full-proof satisfactory way you can be sure your work is ultimately and safely protected.
Submitting &Registering your work online with us is the fastest and most convenient way to do this.
Do you read my material?
No. Your registered work is not read by any of our employees.
What types of files can be registered with you?
Any computer file can be registered. We mainly focus on literary work for film and television, though we also provide registration for books, poems (note: a maximum of ten poems may be registered as a single file), artwork, lyrics, teleplays, gameshows, storyboards, animations and cartoons, web pages etc. Please note that registration with us does not protect titles, nor does it protect ideas.
Can registered material be added to or updated?
The primary purpose of registration is to establish the completion date of your original work. Once material is registered, the file cannot be changed in any way. You can download it for your own personal use, but re-uploading it will create an effective new date of registration.
New drafts can and should be registered when significant additions have been made, however they will be protected only from the date submitted to us and not backdated. You do not need to re-register if minor corrections have been made.
You can, of course, keep both versions on our system, and your work will then be protected from the first respective date of upload.
What do I do once I have registered with you?
Once you have registered your work with us, your should clearly apply your registration number to the frontpage of your work. We advise the copy to read as follows: WCA #A100001.
I live abroad. Can I register with you?
Yes. Registering with us still provides you with proof of date creation no matter where you live. If you live in Europe, the US, Canada, Australia, the Far East or the Middle East, you can still register your work with us. We now also offer a Worldwide Copyright registration for one low price, or a service local to your country. Payment is taken in your local currency. However, no matter where you live, you can still pay by credit card. Your bank will give you the best rate of exchange.
Do I really need to register with you?
We advise everyone to register their work with us. This is the most effective way to ensure your work is protected, and registering with the WCA UK, creates a separate legal record for your material which is pursuant to UK laws. In addition, you may consider registering treatments or drafts of your work-in-progress with our Registry.
What happens if I am involved in litigation proceedings?
If necessary, a Registry employee may produce registration information or material as evidence if legal or official guild action is initiated. Please note: Duplicates of online registrations will not be in paper form. Your online registration will be returned to you in an electronic format (CD) and sent via certified mail.
How do I contact you?
Please send an email to mail@wcauk.com
What happens to my work if I discontinue membership or downgrade membership?
If you discontinue membership, your work will no longer be protected. If you restart your membership, your will be protected from the new date of upload and registration.
If you downgrade your membership, you will be asked to remove files that you no longer need to protect. If you decide you need to protect a file you have deleted, you will need to re-upload it. The file only becomes protected from the new date of upload.
I have made changes to my work. What should I do and what happens?
If you have made minor changes to your work, you normally do not need to re-register your work. If, however, you have made significant changes to the work, you should consider re-registering your work. You cannot change or alter a work once it has been time and date stamped, as this would negate the purpose of date stamping your work.
You can, however, delete your existing file, and upload your new one. Your new uploaded file will be protected from the new date of upload. You can, of course, keep your old file on our system and have both files protected from their respective dates of upload.