Is the "poor man's copyright" legal?

Question

I've heard of a technique called the poor man's copyright. It is supposedly a way to copyright your unique idea or information without having to pay for a formal copyright. The technique is to write out your idea or information you want to copyright, seal it in an envelope, and mail it to yourself. this will date the contents of the envelope and supposedly copyright them. My question is, would something like this actually hold up in a court of law, or is it just an urban legend?

Answer 1

Despite what others state, a "poor man's" copyright is NOT the same as registering it. Here's what the US Copyright Office has to say:

"The practice of sending a copy of your own work to yourself is sometimes called a 'poor man’s copyright.' There is no provision in the copyright law regarding any such type of protection, and it is not a substitute for registration."

Hope that helps! I wish you much success & happiness in all your ventures!

Answer 2

From what I've heard it does work because it proves your idea was first. The real problem one runs into is proving that the other person accused of stealing the idea actually stole it, instead of independently comming up with it on their own. Thats where the level of similarities comes into focus

Answer 3

Along with this method, I would also email the recipient, cc yourself, and a trusted party. That way you have printable and documented multiple sources of the content you want to protect.

Answer 4

Yes it is legal.