How to Copyright a Computer Game

After spending a considerable amount of time creating any type of original intellectual property, such as a computer game, it is a good idea to legally secure the copyright to your hard work.  While simply creating an original computer game makes you a copyright holder this is not enough to prevent copyright infringement.  In order to get legal protection, you must register your copyright with the U.S. Copyright Office so that a public legal record of your computer game will exist.  The cost for filing a basic claim online is $35 and will allow you to register all copyrightable parts of your computer game.   

Methods such as the Poor Man's Copyright, the practice of mailing a copy of one's work to oneself in the hope of securing a copyright, are insufficient in the eyes of the law.
 
In order to register the copyright for your computer game in the United States, please use the following steps:

1) Go to http://www.copyright.gov
2) Click on eCO Login (The Electronic Copyright Office).  You will need to pick a user name and password, answer a few other basic questions about yourself, and follow any other instructions on the screens.
3) Pick Motion Picture / Audio Visual Work when you are asked what type of claim you would like to file
4) Supply basic information about your computer game such as the title, the year created, the author, etc
5) On the Author Created section of the application there is an Other text space.  In the text space type "audiovisual material and computer program"
6) Complete the application and pay the fee using your credit or debit card.
7) Send the first 25 and last 25 pages of your source code to the U.S. Copyright Office by mail or by uploading them online in a pdf document
8)  Within 3 months of publishing your computer game, send the U.S. Copyright Office the final published version on a DVD along with a separate description of your work.  I recommend submitting this package by mail and having the postal service track your package so that you will have proof that your package was received by the U.S. Copyright Office.  The current address can be found at http://www.copyright.gov

Final Notes:

While a copyright is a powerful tool, the copyright does not protect the idea, only how a body of works expresses the idea.  If you are interested in protecting your ideas, names or logos, you may want to research more about patents and trademarks.


Please check http://www.copyright.gov for updates and instructions. 

Good Luck

Kelli J. Lee