Never Use The "Poor Man's Copyright" To Protect Your Music. Everyone in the music industry at some point has heard of the "poor man's copyright" technique. Let’s go through the concept for those of you who are not sure how it’s supposed to work. Before we do, let’s be clear here, the "Poor Man's Copyright" DOESN'T WORK!  

NO COURT HAS EVER ACCEPTED THIS METHOD AS LEGAL PROOF OF COPYRIGHT, So don't bother wasting your time! But here's what it's supposed to do (and why it doesn't work). The poor man's copyright (not copywrite) is when you send a CD, or sheet music, or some other physical form of your music, to yourself (or a friend) by recorded mail.  

The idea when you think about it sounds reasonable: A few days later, when you get your songs or music back in the post, you leave the envelope UNOPENED. You just hide it away somewhere, in a drawer, a safety deposit box, with your savings, and just wait until someday when someone tries to steal your song or music.  

You then retrieve...