How to get a copyright on a video game?
<p>I like to make video games and I figured I might as well make some money off of it. The problem with it is I have no idea how to get a copyright on my games before I start selling them. How would I do this? (Just comment if I need to specify anything else or if this is the wrong site.)</p>

<p>You don't have to do anything, except being able to prove in a court of law that you wrote the game.</p>

<p>If you actually make significant money, you can look at registering it, but at the point you are now, there is no need to do that.</p>

<p>Its a good idea to put a copyright notice in each source code page and maybe have an about screen that names you as the copyright holder.</p>

<p>Copyright is automatic.</p>

<p>If you would like to assert copyright, you can include something like this at the top of your source code:</p>

<pre><code>(c) 2016 [your name]. All Rights Reserved.
</code></pre>

<p>For any country that has ratified the Berne Convention, copyright is granted automatically - you don't have to apply, or pay anything to get it. You may be conflating copyright with trademarks. You have to apply to get a trademark (such as a name, logo), but in this case, it shouldn't really apply.</p>

<p>US based answer, I don't know foreign markets.</p>

<p>As others have stated, Copyright is granted the moment you create something. <strong>In most cases</strong>, you do not need to do anything specific in order to obtain copyright over your original creations.</p>

<p><strong>Prof William Fisher</strong> gave a series of lectures in 2013 covering copyrights. These lectures are all <a href="http://copyx.org/lectures/" rel="nofollow">available to watch or download at <strong>CopyX.org</strong></a> In his lectures, Prof. Fisher details the 10, well 11 ways, you may not have copyright over your work, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4-2qLmmDBnE" rel="nofollow">specifically in section 5.3.</a> They are as follows:</p>

<ol>
<li>Contribution to a collective work</li>
<li>Part of a motion picture or audiovisual work</li>
<li>translations</li>
<li>Supplementary work</li>
<li>Compilations</li>
<li>Instructional Text</li>
<li>Tests</li>
<li>Answers to Tests</li>
<li>Atlas</li>
<li>Work-for-hire</li>
</ol>

<p>And the 11th is simply, forfeiting your copyright voluntarily.</p>

<p>If your work does not fall within these 11 areas, you own the copyrights automatically.</p>

<p>In order to aid in any future disputes over copyright, you should retain some data or information which can assist you in proving <em>when</em> and <em>how</em> the work was created. Detailed notes, back up files, original artwork, etc. In this respect, it can be advantageous to <em>register</em> your copyright in the US with the Library of Congress. There is a nominal fee to register something. Registration is <em>not</em> mandatory. However after doing so -- if there's ever a legal dispute over your copyright and your copyright is on file first at the Library of Congress, the LOC will assist you in defending your copyright.</p>

<p>Much more information can be gained by reviewing <a href="http://www.copyright.gov/" rel="nofollow">Copyright.gov</a> and <a href="http://copyx.org/" rel="nofollow">CopyX.org</a></p>

<p>If I were creating an original item (art/game/etc) for sale. I would register the item prior to beginning any sales avenues, for my own protection.</p>

copyright