I want to post a story on the internet but don't want people to copyright it...

[Android Central Question]

I have a great idea for a story and I just need to put the ideas together. The only problem is, when I go to posting it,I don't want someone to copy my idea. Is there a way I could put down copyrights? This might be a stupid question but I don't know about this kind of stuff.

 

[SpookDroid]

If you want it to be copyrighted before publishing, then you should get that with your local Intellectual Property office before doing so. HOWEVER, publishing online, since it's easily dated, counts as precedence should anyone 'copy' your idea/text before you submit your copyright. You can also add a legal disclaimer to deter using the text without prior consent, but if being made publicly available, that's going to be harder and not necessarily iron-clad if it comes to legal proceedings (you'd still have the precedence if you're the original publisher, however).

 

[Rukbat]

Posting is publishing, and publishing establishes a copyright (others don't copyright your story, they violate your copyright by copying the story and publishing it), without your having to do anything else. You could just put © 2018, Your Name at the end - your real name, not "Your Name". (That's hold the alt key and type 0169 on the number pad.)

But a copyright doesn't prevent people from copying it, it just allows you to sue them for damages for violating your copyright. (And you have to prove how much the damages are - for instance, if they include the story in a book they're publishing. Just putting it on a website doesn't give you anything to prove damages, you can just send a "take-down letter" (google it) to the hosting company asking them to delete the page (which they will). But you have to be aware of it. The only way to actually prevent them from copying it would be something like putting a blank picture over it. You can still read the words, but if you copy you get the picture - which is completely blank.

 

[Mooncatt]

Also keep in mind there there are some, limited, fair use exceptions that your copyright will not protect. Education use and parody are the common ones. Education isn't so much profiting off your work, but using it to show concepts and techniques to others. Parody use is how people like Weird Al can put out parody songs without infringement (though getting written permission ahead of time is still preferred just to be nice about it).