>By talking to a qualified attorney who specializes in this area. AFAIK, no one here is an attorney.
>
>Good advice. I'd press for a "free" introductory appointment as well, because if I remember correctly, you can't copyright something you haven't produced yet. Nor can you patent an idea, it has to actually exist in a form that a competent practitioner can reproduce by following your patent.

I've read patents and applications for patents (computer software) and they are extremely detailed. Most you can find on the web (as explained here):

http://www.copyright.gov/help/faq/faq-privacy.html#google

How can I prevent personal information from being placed on the Copyright Office's website?
Certain information that must be provided on the application for registration will become a permanent part of the public record of the Copyright Office, and some elements in the public record will be available online through the Office’s website, including the name and address of the copyright claimant. Any information provided in the rights and permissions section of the application will also be made available online, but providing rights and permissions information is optional. Applicants who want to include rights and permissions information but do not want to provide personal details can use third-party agents, post office boxes, or designated email accounts. If someone else submits an application on your behalf, it is still your responsibility to ensure that information that you want to keep out of the public record is omitted. In certain cases, it may be permissible to register a claim in a work either anonymously or pseudonymously (under a fictitious name). Other categories of information in copyright applications that may be made available online include the following: type of work, registration number, title of the work, author, authorship, preexisting material date of creation, date of publication.

Why is my copyright registration information now appearing on search engines such as Google?

Because your copyright registration is a public record, others can access it and may create alternative means to make the information in it more widely available. The Copyright Office is not responsible for the form or the substance of third-party redistribution of Copyright Office records.



United States Copyright Office (he does live in the U.S. right?)
http://www.copyright.gov/