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- Nov 9, 2014
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I've looked through the FAQs on copyright, and most of my questions were answered, but a few linger.
Poor man's copyright (mailing a copy of your ms to yourself) has been debunked all over the internet. E-mailing a copy to yourself hasn't been discussed as much. Would this have any value in defending your copyright? It seems to more reliably prove the date associated with the content. Although e-mail headers can be forged, if necessary you could obtain records from your e-mail provider that their servers handled the message on that date.
Also, does date matter at all? Suppose someone claimed the manuscript was in their possession on such-and-such a date, and I had no proof that it was in my possession on a prior date. Does that help their case in any way? If so, how else can I prove the date of my drafts and ms? Computer files have dates, but these can be easily forged.
I know I'm likely to get the advice, "Don't worry about it," but is there any little thing I should do that can't hurt and might help?
Poor man's copyright (mailing a copy of your ms to yourself) has been debunked all over the internet. E-mailing a copy to yourself hasn't been discussed as much. Would this have any value in defending your copyright? It seems to more reliably prove the date associated with the content. Although e-mail headers can be forged, if necessary you could obtain records from your e-mail provider that their servers handled the message on that date.
Also, does date matter at all? Suppose someone claimed the manuscript was in their possession on such-and-such a date, and I had no proof that it was in my possession on a prior date. Does that help their case in any way? If so, how else can I prove the date of my drafts and ms? Computer files have dates, but these can be easily forged.
I know I'm likely to get the advice, "Don't worry about it," but is there any little thing I should do that can't hurt and might help?