What is “Poor Man’s Copyright”?

Discover why DIY method - mailing a copy of your song to yourself, provides a false sense of security and why official registration remains the only way to truly weaponize your rights in court.

Disclaimer: This Article is for general informational purposes only and does not replace legal advice for specific situations.

TL; DR

"Poor Man's Copyright" is the old-school practice of mailing a copy of your song to yourself and leaving the envelope sealed to prove when you created it. While it proves the date you possessed the file, it is not a substitute for official government registration. Relying on this method gives you a false sense of security. In countries like the US, you generally cannot even file a lawsuit without a formal registration certificate, no matter how many sealed envelopes you have.

In simple terms: What is "Poor Man's Copyright"? 

In simple terms, Poor Man's Copyright is a DIY method where a creator sends their own work (CD, sheet music, lyrics) to themselves via registered mail. The idea is that the postmark date on the sealed envelope proves that the work existed in your possession on that specific day. It is called "Poor Man's" because it costs only the price of a stamp, compared to the fees for official copyright registration.

This practice became popular for two reasons

• Cost: Official registration (e.g., with the US Copyright Office) costs money per application. Developing artists often look for free alternatives.
• Simplicity: It seems like an easy, "life-hack" way to create legal evidence without hiring a lawyer or filling out complex government forms.

How does "Poor Man's Copyright" work? 

The traditional process follows these steps:

• The creator puts a copy of their song or lyrics into an envelope.
• They mail it to their own home address using registered mail to get a clear date stamp.
• When it arrives, they never open it.
• If someone steals the song later, the creator plans to bring the sealed envelope to court, open it in front of the judge, and prove they had the song first.

Why do people think it works?

The belief comes from a real and reasonable concern: "How do I prove that I created this song first?"

Creators often worry about: theft, plagiarism, or disputes with collaborators later on.

Because copyright protection arises automatically upon creation, many people assume that any time-stamped proof, such as a mailed envelope or an email, must be enough. Mailing a copy to yourself feels like a simple workaround that avoids government paperwork.

How does copyright actually work? 

Under copyright law in most countries:

• You automatically own copyright the moment your work is created and fixed in a tangible form (recorded or written down).
• You do not need to mail anything to yourself to become the copyright owner.

However, ownership and enforcement are not the same thing.

When disputes arise, courts do not rely on informal or self-created methods of proof.

They require official, reliable evidence of ownership and the date of creation - especially when money, licensing, or damages are involved.

Does "Poor man's Copyright" have any legal value?

The US Copyright Office explains on its website:"The practice of sending a copy of your own work to yourself is sometimes called a 'poor man's copyright.' But, there is no provision in the copyright law regarding any such type of protection, and it is not a substitute for registration."

In limited situations, a postmarked envelope might be used as:

• supporting evidence that a work existed on a certain date, or
• evidence that a work was independently created before another work.

But it is important to be clear about what it does not do:

• substitute for official copyright registration
• not give you enforcement power
• allow you to sue for infringement in many jurisdictions
• qualify you for statutory damages or attorney's fees
• convince labels, publishers, investors, or buyers that you own the rights.

In short, it does not give your copyright any real legal teeth.