how do you protect a words only slogan - like a funny bumper sticker?

Question

I've got an idea for a funny bumper sticker. It is just an incomplete sentence.

Is there anyway to stop Joe Anybody from seeing my idea and copying it. In other words, could he just make his own bumper sticker, with my saying, and sell it himself?

I am just a regular middle class guy, so if any answers involve bucks on lawyers or anything, could you state so in your answer?

Thanks a lot everyone!

Answer 1

From the U.S. Copyright Office:
Copyright does not protect names, titles, slogans, or short phrases. In some cases, these things may be protected as trademarks. Contact the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office, 800-786-9199, for further information. However, copyright protection may be available for logo artwork that contains sufficient authorship. In some circumstances, an artistic logo may also be protected as a trademark.
http://www.copyright.gov/help/faq/faq-protect.html

If you want to get it protected as a trademark, go here:
http://www.uspto.gov/main/trademarks.htm
Copyright office will walk you through it and you don't have to hire an attorney.

Answer 2

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Answer 3

you'd need to trademark it ( expressions can't be copyrighted).

http://www.legalzoom.com/Trademark/TrademarkDefinition.html