A sealed, self-addressed envelope with a postmark and a question mark above it
IP for Creators

Poor Man’s Copyright: Does Mailing Yourself Your Work Do Anything?

Seal your work in an envelope, mail it to yourself, and never open it – proof you made it first, right? It’s one of the oldest pieces of creator advice going around, and the U.S. Copyright Office says flatly it does nothing. Here’s what actually protects your work.