WGA

Sounds like a total waste of time and money. Victoria Strauss just wrote about a similar service on her blog and explained why it is a waste of time and money. Please inform yourself further before shelling out any money.

These "services" cater entirely to novices who don't know how the system works. There's no shame in being a novice - everybody starts there - and part of the value of boards like this is to allow us to get feedback from people who have been there, done that and are willing to show their scars.

Lastlight, thanks for the links to WGA. You know your work is copyrighted the minute you write it, and further protection (beyond common sense) is generally unnecessary.

Welcome to the boards!

For what it's worth, registering a script with the WGA is not on par with buying a star from the International Star Registry. The WGA is the union that represents screenwriters in the United States. It's an actual organization that provides an actual service to professional screenwriters.

That being said, the last time I read up on this, registering a script with the WGA doesn't really offer much in the way of legal protection. It's more of a way for writers to work out contractual issues once they've been hired (screen credit arbitration, etc.).

The only meaningful legal protection available is registering your copyright with the Library of Congress. Yes, your work is copyrighted as soon as you write it, but you can't sue for punitive damages if the copyright wasn't registered. And that's where all the money is.