How to protect my work from being stolen

[Icon_Charlie]

Do you have another copy? There's the old trick of mailing a copy to yourself in case you need to prove the timing.

It is call the "Poor Man's Copyright". Do it all of the time while dealing with my IP attorney. I like the layers of protection when I do certain works.

Again it is a form of protection and again I layer it with other methods.

 

[GMMichael]

Post your work online? That'll make it easier to steal, but also make it pretty easy to show that you were the first to have it.

That's what I did, anyway...

 

[neobolts]

Once you find it, place your flash drive at the end of an elaborate dungeon filled with dangerous creatures and complex traps. This will help prevent your work from being stolen.

Also, I'm pleased to announce my newest offering..."Uferun Heroez." It's available exclusively in flash drive format in a very limited run.

 

[TreChriron]

Publish it online! Be sure to include copyright disclaimer and "do not reproduce" terms and then you have a decent "public notice" about your game.

You could consider actually registering your work for copyright...

Otherwise, don't sweat it. Almost every RPG gets pirated. People share PDFs. The secret is to focus on your fans who buy your stuff and ignore the free-loaders. You can't stop 'em.

If someone plagiarizes your work, you can take legal action. You just need to prove your claim to copyright.

You could request some legal council from a copyright lawyer as well. If you're up to it, I'm sure they could also help you legally register your work and help you establish the copyright of your work.

 

[CardinalXimenes]

If your RPG is stolen and published by a stranger as their own creative work, it will be the first time I have ever heard of this happening to anyone, anywhere.

 

[Tellerian Hawke]

http://www.slate.com/articles/techn...iling_something_to_yourself_doesn_t_work.html

But it's a moot point---when you create the work, it's automatically considered to be copyrighted. Although, there are certain advantages to registration with the copyright office.