How do I register my copyright?
There is no system in the UK for registering copyright because it arises automatically.
Copyright protects original literary, dramatic and musical works from the moment they are created in a perceptible form, either by being written down, or recorded in some other way. The first copyright in a work belongs to the person who created it, subject to the rules on employers ownership set out above.
As a safeguard, and particularly if you believe there’s a chance copyright might be disputed, one method you can use to assert that a written work existed by a certain date is to send a copy (not the original) of the work, either a photocopy or a digital copy on CD or USB stick to yourself, preferably by registered post. When the package returns to you, check that the postmark is clear, leave it unopened and file it somewhere safe.
Alternatively, a copy of the work can be lodged with a bank or a solicitor.