Can you copyright a name by mailing it to yourself

The old "mailing it to yourself" trick!

Unfortunately, it's not that simple. Copyright law is a bit more complex than that.

In the United States, copyright law protects original works of authorship, such as literary, dramatic, musical, and artistic works. To obtain copyright protection, you must create an original work and register it with the U.S. Copyright Office.

Mailing a name to yourself does not constitute copyright protection. Here's why:

1. A name is not a creative work: A name is a common, generic term that is not considered an original work of authorship. Copyright law is designed to protect creative expressions, not generic terms.
2. Lack of originality: A name is not an original creation. It's a common term that can be used by anyone, and mailing it to yourself doesn't make it unique or original.
3. No registration: To obtain copyright protection, you must register your work with the U.S. Copyright Office. Mailing a name to yourself does not constitute registration.

To obtain copyright protection for a name, you would need to create a unique and original work that incorporates the name, such as a logo, design, or literary work. Even then, you would need to register the work with the U.S. Copyright Office to obtain legal protection.

So, while mailing a name to yourself might be a clever trick, it's not a viable way to obtain copyright protection.