The following information is part of a bigger resource on script registration, also including FAQ, other important notice for writers and the actual page for starting to register a script. We strongly recommend to take a look at the whole WGAe page in order to gain all necessary insight (copyright and law is an important topic!).

Script registration is one of the most popular services offered by the Writers Guild East. We register the creative material of thousands of writers each year. Before you start sending your work to agents, producers and actors, make sure to register your material with the WGAE Online Script Registration Service.

The Guild East Script Registration Service protects members and non-members of the Guild by establishing the completion date and the identity of their literary property. For as little as $10, the Guild East registration service will protect your script, your screenplay, or simply a great idea, for 10 years. That's twice the protection of any other script registration service.

The goal of the Guild East Script Registration Service is to protect your claim of priority of ownership. So register your material before showing it to a producer or agent, many of them won't even look at a script unless it has been registered first with the Guild.

Online Script Registration is a deal. For 10 years of protection, members pay $10. Registration for non-members is $22. And students can register their material for $17. That's it. No hidden costs, no special fees. No other registration service provides the same level of protection for the price. Don't want to register online, even though it's more convenient AND you'll get a deal on the price? If you decided to register in person or via regular mail, the fees are as follows:

WGA, East accepts for registration manuscripts as well as material which is not in full script form, i.e. synopses, outlines, ideas, treatments, scenarios. A registration is valid for ten (10) years. A registration may be renewed before the end of the ten (10) year period by application to the Guild and payment of the then current renewal fee. In registering a property you authorize the Guild, unless the registration is renewed at the end of the ten (10) year period, to destroy any unclaimed literary property without notice.

Registration does not confer any statutory protection. It merely provides evidence of the author's prior claim to authorship of the literary material involved and of the date of its completion. An author has certain rights under the law the moment his/her work is completed. It is therefore important that the date of completion be legally established. Registration with the Guild does not protect titles. If all the parties cannot be present for the registration, a letter signed by the absent person(s) designating the remaining registrant(s) to act in their behalf will suffice. This is done with the understanding that the person holding the receipt is the only person who can remove the registration (exception: see below, withdrawal procedure, and rules governing examination of manuscript on file).

The registered copy of material left on deposit cannot be returned to the writer without defeating the purpose of registration, the point being that evidence should be available, if necessary, that material has been in the Guild's charge since the date of deposit and that the seal is unbroken.

However, if the writer finds it necessary to have the copy returned to him or her (s)he may have it back at any time upon notice of seven business days, and the payment of the then current withdrawal fee.

A registered envelope will be surrendered only to the writer upon presentation of original registration receipt and proper identification, or to another bearing a written authorization signed by the author and notarized.

Where there are co-writers, written consent of all parties must be provided. When the writer is deceased, proof of death and consent of heirs must be obtained.

Any person designated as a writer by virtue of any registration of a property with the Guild hereunder may have access to the registration envelope and the material itself upon proof that (s)he is the person designated as writer in the original registration.

If (s)he shall require the material, for either withdrawal or examination, (s)he terminates the registration. An entirely new registration envelope must be completed and registered.

In no event, except under the provisions of the paragraph on the procedure for withdrawal, shall any of the material be allowed to be taken from the Guild office unless a court order has been acquired. If any person other than the writer named in the registration shall request to see either the manuscript, the registration receipt, the registration envelope or any other material, such request shall be denied unless a court order is presented in connection therewith.