Protecting Original Writing with Copyright Law Original writing, whether it is poetry, a novel, or a screenplay, is an inherently creative work. Fiction or nonfiction, writing is a product of the author’s own unique voice, and can thus be legally protected under intellectual property law. Here’s an overview of how this is done. Creative Work and Copyrights In the U.S., intellectual property law is a wide field covering everything from trade secrets and branding to inventions and artwork. Copyright law specifically covers original creative work, which is the category that original writing falls under. As per the federal government , as soon as a creative work is “created and fixed in a tangible form that it is perceptible either directly or with the aid of a machine or device,” it has an inherent copyright that can be used to protect from infringement. There are some exceptions to this, like if you’re writing something on behalf of...