Copyrighting and distribution

[ContraBass Black]

I'm thinking about copyrighting my poetry so that I can share more freely without risk of plagiarism. I had to yank my site last week when I found that yahoo indexing had bypassed my security.

Any advice>

[RagingInMiami]

1. Legally, your poetry is already copyrighted

Next to your name, you should always include the copyright symbol next to the year you wrote it to remind readers that it is copyrighted.

The only point about sending it to the Library of Congress and getting it copyrighted is that it allows you to collect monetary damages, or whatever they call it, if someone steals your work. But that, of course, could be pretty time-consuming and probably depends if the person stealing your work made any money off it.

[ContraBass Black]

2. Well, I don't know whether or not I want to do that

Or even how to go about it (I haven't looked it up).

It wouldn't be a consideration, but the way people gush over it, I wonder if it has monetary value and they're not just saying it's good because they like me.

[RagingInMiami]

3. Well here's the link

http://www.copyright.gov/

Have you posted your poetry on DU before?

[ContraBass Black]

4. Only a small bit written years ago.

I've got better than that.

[ContraBass Black]

5. I've thought about it, and really, all I want to do is keep my family out.

Immediate and extended. I can't ban all their IP's, so I'll have to limit access.